Brian Cole Jr, the man accused of planting pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters on the eve of the January 6 Capitol attack, is facing two additional felony counts, according to a newly released indictment on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old from Woodbridge, Virginia, was initially arrested in December and charged with transporting and placing two improvised explosive devices outside the RNC and DNC buildings. The updated indictment includes charges of attempting to use weapons of mass destruction and carrying out an act of terrorism while armed.
Although the devices did not detonate, the FBI has confirmed they were functional. The case had remained unsolved for years, with former Trump administration officials emphasising its resolution as a priority. Cole has pleaded not guilty to the original charges and has not yet been arraigned on the new ones.
A judge ordered Cole to remain in custody in January, ruling that he poses an intolerable risk to the community and that no conditions of release could ensure public safety. Court documents reveal Cole told investigators he believed the 2020 election had been interfered with and that “someone needs to speak up”. He said “something just snapped” after “watching everything, just everything getting worse”.
Cole stated he did not intend to target the joint session of Congress during the attack, but travelled to Washington to protest the election results. He said he targeted both party headquarters because “they were in charge” and added: “I really don’t like either party at this point.” The legal fallout from the January 6 attack continues, with recent cases including a Florida handyman pardoned by Trump being sentenced to life for child molestation.
