Federal judge orders pipe bomb suspect held without bail

A federal judge on Friday ordered that the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic national headquarters in Washington, D.C., be held in custody pending trial.

In his order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh said that Brian Cole is entitled to the presumption of innocence, like all defendants.

“The Court concludes that the government carried its ultimate burden to demonstrate that there are no conditions of release the Court could impose to reasonably assure the safety of the community,” he wrote. 

“The Court understands its ‘grave constitutional obligation to ensure that the facts and circumstances of each case warrant this exceptional treatment,’” the judge continued. “But based on the Court’s careful consideration of the relevant factors that govern its determination, this case fits that bill.”

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Federal prosecutors argued that Cole should be held because he presents a danger to the community, pointing to purchases of bomb-making materials through at least August 2022.

Defense attorneys said there was no evidence that Cole would pose a danger going forward, noting that he has not done anything to harm the community in the last five years, Fox 5 D.C. reported.

Undetonated homemade bombs were discovered on Jan. 6, 2021, though prosecutors said Cole denied that his actions were connected to the events at the Capitol that day.

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Although he initially denied involvement, prosecutors allege Cole later confessed to placing the devices outside the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters.

Cole also allegedly said he was disillusioned by the election outcome and sympathetic to claims by President Donald Trump and some allies that it had been stolen.

Cole was arrested in Virginia after investigators identified him as the suspect accused of placing pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol complex and outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

The bombs did not detonate. Cole was arrested in December 2025.