Pipe bomb suspect to appear in federal court, defense seeks pretrial release

WASHINGTON (7News) — The Virginia man accused of planting a pair of pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committees on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021, is due back in court Tuesday afternoon.

Brian Cole, Jr., 30, has a detention and preliminary hearing scheduled at U.S. District Court. Cole’s charges include transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.

RELATED | ‘Something just snapped’: Suspect reportedly admits to planting pipe bombs before Jan. 6

Cole’s attorneys are seeking to have him released ahead of the trial, claiming he is no danger to the public.

Read the full motion from Cole’s lawyers below:

The motion argues Cole has no previous criminal history, adding that there was “a four-year gap without similar conduct” following the discovery of the pipe bombs.

Prosecutors want to keep Cole locked up ahead of his trial.

A recent court filing from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia states Cole confessed two hours into his interview with the FBI after investigators showed him a still image of the suspect from surveillance video close in time to the planting of the bombs.

He denied to investigators that his actions were directed toward Congress or related to the proceedings scheduled to take place on Jan. 6, when the 2020 presidential election results were supposed to be certified but were ultimately delayed by rioters who broke into the U.S. Capitol Building, alleging the election was rigged. The bombs never went off and were discovered the following afternoon.

Cole told investigators that “something just snapped” after “watching everything, just everything getting worse,” states the court filing, amid questions raised by President Trump and Republicans about the results of the 2020 presidential election. There was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the election.

Cole said he wanted to do something for both parties because “they were in charge,” according to prosecutors.