US man accused of planting pipe bombs ahead of Capitol riot to appear in court

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By Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) – The man suspected of planting pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack is due to make his first court appearance on Friday after the Justice Department touted a break in a case that long vexed investigators.

Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Virginia, will appear in Washington federal court to face two explosives-related charges on the day after his arrest.

Cole was accused of placing pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties near the U.S. Capitol on the evening of January 5, 2021.

The devices were not discovered until the next day and were deactivated by police. Neither exploded.

Still, FBI officials have said the bombs required significant police resources just as thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump surged into the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election.

Justice Department officials have not provided a motive for the incident or said if there was any link between the placement of the bombs and the Capitol riot.

Investigators traced purchases of several components used in the bombs, including pipes, kitchen timers and battery connectors to Cole, according to an FBI affidavit laying out the evidence in the case.

Cell phone and license plate data also placed him in Washington near the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee  buildings that evening, according to the affidavit.

The charges carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that there was no new information that led authorities to Cole, but that a review of existing evidence led to the identification of the suspect.

Trump-nominated FBI leaders Kash Patel and Dan Bongino placed a renewed emphasis on solving the case, which remained open for years and became fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories about the Capitol riot.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman)