Pipe bomb suspect caught after 5 years to appear in court Friday
Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of planting pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC headquarters ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, is due in federal court on Friday. His arrest is the first major break in a nearly five-year investigation that baffled law enforcement and fueled conspiracy theories.
Arrest after nearly five-year investigation
Federal agents arrested Brian J. Cole Jr., 30, on Thursday at his home in Woodbridge, Virginia, a quiet suburb roughly 25 miles from the U.S. Capitol.
He’s charged with transporting explosive materials in interstate commerce and attempted destruction of property by means of explosives.
Cole is accused of placing two pipe bombs on the night of Jan. 5, 2021, one outside the Republican National Committee headquarters and one near the Democratic National Committee.
The devices never detonated. However, the FBI has said both bombs were viable and could have been lethal if they had gone off. Their discovery around 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 diverted police away from the Capitol complex just as supporters of President Donald Trump began breaching security lines.
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How investigators say they found him
For years, the FBI sifted through hundreds of tips, reviewed tens of thousands of video files, and pulled cell tower and tech company data without landing on a suspect. Some Republican lawmakers and right-wing media figures pushed theories that the bomber was part of an “inside job” or a government plot to discredit Trump supporters.
According to an FBI affidavit, investigators ultimately pieced together a trail that pointed to Cole:
- Bank and credit card records showing purchases in 2019 and 2020 of components consistent with the bombs, including galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, electrical wire and steel wool, from retailers like Home Depot and Walmart.
- Additional purchases of similar materials even after the devices were planted.
- Cellphone tower data showing Cole’s phone connecting to towers near both party headquarters between about 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m.
- A license plate reader hit on his 2017 Nissan Sentra less than a half-mile from where the suspect was first seen on foot that night.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference there was “no new tip” or “new witness.” She called the arrest the result of “good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work” by a team that included the FBI, ATF, Capitol Police and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
Big questions still hanging over the case
Even with a suspect in custody, key questions remain. Federal officials have not publicly identified a motive or said whether they believe the bombs were directly connected to the Capitol riot.
Cole is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Washington later Friday. Prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing, search warrants are still being executed, and additional charges are possible.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
