Key Takeaways
- Brian Cole Jr, a 30-year-old man from Virginia, has been accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committees’ headquarters on January 5, 2021.
- Cole’s lawyers argue that he should be released from custody while awaiting trial, citing his lack of criminal history and willingness to undergo home detention with GPS monitoring.
- However, federal prosecutors argue that Cole poses a danger to the community and should remain in custody, given the severity of the charges against him.
- Cole allegedly confessed to the crimes after his arrest and provided detailed information about the construction, transportation, and planting of the pipe bombs.
Introduction to the Case
The man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters of both the Democratic and Republican national committees the night before the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol appeared at a federal detention hearing before a magistrate judge on Tuesday. Earlier this month, authorities arrested Brian Cole Jr of Woodbridge, Virginia, who has yet to enter a plea. This development marks a significant milestone in a case that had long baffled law enforcement officials and sparked numerous conspiracy theories.
The Detention Hearing
Cole’s lawyers argued that he should be released while he awaits trial, as he does not present any danger. They also noted that Cole had agreed to home detention enforced by GPS monitoring and would live under the supervision of a relative. The defense rebuked federal prosecutors who pushed for the suspect to remain in custody. Cole’s lawyers argued that their client is on the autism spectrum and has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In a recent court filing, they also wrote that Cole has "zero criminal history" and there is "zero evidence that he will flee". They argue that no one was "actually harmed" as a result of the crimes Cole has been charged with, since neither of the bombs exploded.
The Confession and Investigation
However, according to a recent justice department memo, Cole allegedly confessed to his crimes after he was arrested by law enforcement. At the time, his home was also searched, and several bomb-making components were found on the premises. The FBI also obtained Cole’s credit card statements, which showed the purchase of several materials used to make the bombs. The documents state that in a video interview with authorities, Cole said that he was in Washington DC to protest against the outcome of the 2020 election on January 5. He initially maintained that he did not plant the pipe bombs and was not the person pictured in surveillance footage on the evening of the attempted attacks.
The Motive and Intent
However, after the interviewing agents "reminded the defendant that lying to them was an additional criminal offense" and asked him again whether he was the individual in the video, he "paused for approximately fifteen seconds, placed his head face down on the table, and answered, ‘yes’". The filing goes on to note that "the defendant walked the interviewing agents in detail through his construction, transportation, and planting of the pipe bombs". According to the papers, when agents pressed Cole on his motive, he said that "something just snapped" after "watching everything, just everything getting worse". Cole said that he wanted to do something "to the parties" because "they were in charge". When asked about his decision to place the bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters, the defendant reportedly responded: "I really don’t like either party at this point."
The Court’s Decision
Later in the interview, Cole apparently explained that the idea to use pipe bombs came from "his interest in history", specifically the Troubles in Northern Ireland. "The defendant denied that his actions were directed toward Congress or related to the proceedings scheduled to take place on January 6," according to the court documents. He was also "pretty relieved" that the devices did not detonate and told agents that he planted the bombs at night because he did not want to kill people, according to the filing. Cole’s lawyers have requested that the judge order the release of any video or written "statements, confessions or admissions" from the defendant to his legal team. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors argue that since Cole is charged with transporting explosives across state lines and maliciously attempting to use those explosives to damage or destroy property – the latter of which comes with a prison sentence of up to 20 years – he "poses an intolerable risk of danger to the community if released".
Conclusion and Next Steps
According to CBS News, Judge Martin J Sharbaugh said that he would not decide Tuesday on whether to release Cole from custody but noted that he would issue an "expeditious" ruling. Cole’s arrest was the biggest development in a case that had long stumped law enforcement officials and inspired myriad conspiracy theories throughout the years of searching for the perpetrator. The case will continue to unfold as the judge weighs the arguments presented by both the defense and the prosecution, and a decision on Cole’s detention is expected to be made in the near future.
