U.S. District Judge Amir Ali has ordered that Brian J. Cole Jr. remain jailed while awaiting trial on allegations he placed two pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC on Jan. 5, 2021. Cole, 30, pleaded not guilty and has been detained since his Dec. 4 arrest after investigators say phone records and other evidence identified him. Prosecutors say he admitted planning "an extraordinary act of political violence" and that the devices were the product of weeks of planning; defense experts say the devices were not viable explosives. If convicted, Cole faces up to 10 and 20 years for the two counts, the latter carrying a five-year mandatory minimum.
Judge Denies Release for Brian J. Cole Jr., Accused of Planting Pipe Bombs Near RNC and DNC
The Capitol is seen from the Russell Senate Office Building as lawmakers argue on whether to move forward with the spending legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A federal judge has refused to release Brian J. Cole Jr., who is charged with placing two pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties on the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali on Thursday affirmed a detention order by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh, who on Jan. 2 concluded that no set of release conditions could reasonably protect the public from the danger prosecutors say Cole poses.
Charges and Detention
Cole, 30, pleaded not guilty to federal counts alleging he built and placed two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of Jan. 5, 2021. He has been held in federal custody since his arrest on Dec. 4.
Investigation and Allegations
Authorities say investigators used phone records and other evidence to identify Cole in a case that confounded the FBI for more than four years. Prosecutors allege Cole confessed to attempting "an extraordinary act of political violence," telling investigators he was upset by how leaders of both parties handled questions about the 2020 election and that "something just snapped."
Prosecutors argue the devices and the fear they caused were the result of weeks of planning, writing that the conduct was not merely impulsive but premeditated.
Defense Position
Cole's lawyers say he lives with his parents in Woodbridge, Virginia, has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and has no prior criminal record. They asked that he be released to home detention with electronic monitoring, citing a defense expert who concluded the devices found near the RNC and DNC were not viable explosives.
Defense filings state, "In fact, there was no possibility of death, injury or destruction as the devices were harmless." The judge, however, found that the concerns raised by prosecutors about public safety were sufficient to keep Cole detained pending trial.
Potential Penalties
If convicted on both counts, Cole faces up to 10 years on one charge and up to 20 years on the other; the second charge carries a five-year mandatory minimum sentence.
Note: Cole has pleaded not guilty. All allegations are claims by prosecutors and must be proven in court.
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