Maryland man charged for attempted murder of OMB director Russell Vought
A Maryland man has been charged with attempted murder in an alleged plot to kill Russell Vought, the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He went to Vought’s Northern Virginia home wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, where a witness reported he appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt.
The Arlington County Police Department said Thursday that Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, Maryland, was arrested following a months-long investigation. He is charged with attempted murder, criminal solicitation to commit murder, carrying a concealed weapon, and wearing a mask in public to conceal his identity.
Demarco was taken into custody at his residence on January 16, extradited to Virginia, and is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Police were dispatched around 3:15 p.m. on August 10, 2025, to the 3800 block of 7th Street South in Arlington County, Virginia, after a report of a suspicious person. A witness reported seeing a man wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves on a residence porch, carrying a backpack and appearing to conceal a firearm under his shirt.
Police said the suspect approached the witness, asked about the resident, and then left the area. Officers established a perimeter and canvassed the neighborhood but did not locate the suspect. The encounter was captured on home surveillance video.
According to court records cited by CBS News, the U.S. Marshals Service later identified Demarco as the individual seen in the surveillance video and interviewed him at his Rockville home in Maryland.
Court records describe the alleged target as an individual identified by the initials “R.V.,” who “has served as a presidential appointee.” Sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the intended victim was Vought.
Search warrants for Demarco’s digital records showed he had obtained directions to Vought’s residence, according to Arlington County police. Investigators also recovered written material offering guidance on avoiding criminal detection, along with online posts and messages discussing Vought and appearing to solicit others to murder him.
Demarco allegedly exchanged messages on the social media platform Discord expressing violent intent, including one in which he wrote: “The more Trump does sh*t like this, the more I wanna grab a gun and try to shoot him… I am at my wits’ end and this might be the final straw. I want to get a gun, head to DC and kill him.”
In other messages, Demarco allegedly discussed Vought, writing, “I found this guy’s address,” and later referencing Luigi Mangione, asking, “Are you willing to put your livelihood on the line and seek out the guy’s home to Luigi him?” Mangione is charged in the killing of Brian Thompson, the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group.
Investigators also recovered a document titled “Body Disposal Guide,” which detailed steps such as wearing rubber gloves and creating an airtight alibi, and included references to a weapons stash, including a fully loaded .357 Magnum revolver allegedly owned by a relative. A partial search of Demarco’s room did not locate any weapons.
Court records cited by CBS News show that Demarco told investigators he initially traveled to Arlington looking for a job and later said he went to Vought’s home to confront him about Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation-backed effort that Vought helped create to shape a policy agenda for the next Republican administration.
Other notes indicated that Demarco claimed to be writing a manifesto. During a November 2024 mental health detention in Maryland referenced in the complaint, he advised that “once it was completed he would kill people.”
During that prior incident, Demarco was taken into custody under a mental illness emergency petition after he asked a police officer to run him over or shoot him.
Court records cited by CBS News say Demarco also described President Trump’s reelection as “the lowest point in his life” and said he feared “impending war and a fascist takeover.”
Demarco’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23. The Arlington County Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
