DC pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. was hit with a federal indictment on Tuesday — roughly 5 years after he allegedly planted explosives on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The federal indictment charged Cole with interstate transportation of explosives and malicious try to make use of explosives, for allegedly inserting two pipe bombs by the Republican and Democratic Nationwide Committee headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021, the US Division of Justice introduced.
“On condition that Cole crossed state traces and focused the political management of each events, for which there’s an inherent crime of federal jurisdiction, dealing with this in federal courtroom is most correct,” US Legal professional Jeanine Pirro stated in a press release on Tuesday.
“The FBI and my workplace labored across the clock to make sure that this defendant is charged with the appropriate crimes for his harmful acts,” Pirro stated.
The fees within the federal indictment had been the identical as these waged towards him in a criticism filed final month.
Regulation enforcement found the IEDs close to the DNC and RNC headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021 — the identical day rioters supporting President Trump stormed the close by US Capitol in an try and halt the certification of the 2020 election.
Neither machine detonated, and the US Capitol Police had been capable of perform a “render secure process” on the explosives, prosecutors stated.
In an earlier Justice Division memo, Cole allegedly confessed to the explosive scheme and revealed that “one thing simply snapped” in him earlier than planting the units after his arrest in early December.
He added that he wished to “communicate up” for individuals who believed the 2020 election was stolen and goal the nation’s political events for being “in cost.”
Cole was arrested at his dwelling on Dec. 4, 2025, in Woodbridge, Virginia, after a multi-agency effort.
He had bought a number of elements matching these used to create the 2 IEDs in 2019 and 2020 at a number of northern Virginia retail shops, prosecutors alleged.
Video surveillance additionally revealed a person, matching Cole’s look, inserting the units in darkish pants, a gray hooded sweatshirt, darkish gloves, Nike Air Max Velocity Turf footwear, and a facemask.
Cole’s Nissan Sentra was noticed close to the scene, and cellphone data confirmed he was within the space between 7:39 p.m. and eight:24 p.m. that day, in keeping with his criticism.
His attorneys revealed in a submitting that Cole is on the autism spectrum and suffers from obsessive-compulsive dysfunction.
Cole was ordered to stay behind bars pending his trial on Friday after a federal Justice of the Peace choose argued there have been indicators he may pose a hazard to his neighborhood.
