Suspect in US Capitol pipe bomb plot to make first appearance in court | US Capitol attack
The man suspected of planting a pipe bomb in Washington, D.C., the night before the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, by supporters of Donald Trump trying to overturn his election defeat will make his first appearance in federal court on Friday.
Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, is scheduled to appear in court in Washington, D.C., to face two explosives-related charges the day after his arrest. Cole was accused of placing pipe bombs in front of the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the evening of January 5, 2021, not far from the US Capitol and the White House.
The devices were not found until the next day and were defused by police. Neither exploded and no one was injured.
Cole was taken into custody Thursday, becoming the first suspect arrested and named as a perpetrator by authorities after the Justice Department suspended a case that had long frustrated investigators.
Dealing with the bombs required significant police resources as thousands of Trump supporters, many of whom came from a rally where the then-outgoing president called for overturning his defeat to Joe Biden, breached the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results, FBI officials said.
Justice department officials did not provide a motive for the pipe bomb incident or say whether there was any connection between the planting of the bombs and the riot at the Capitol, where lawmakers and staff had to flee for their lives.
According to the FBI’s affidavit laying out the evidence in the case, investigators found that Cole had purchased various components used to make the bomb, including pipes, kitchen timers and battery connectors.
Cell phone and license plate data also show Cole was placed near the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee buildings in Washington that evening, according to the affidavit.
The federal charges against him carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. attorney Pam Bondi said Thursday that there was no new information that would lead authorities to Cole, but that review of existing evidence led to the identification of the suspect.
Reuters contributed reporting
