Virginia Man in 2021 Pipe Bomb Case Makes Court Appearance

A Virginia man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters in Washington made his first court appearance Friday, marking a breakthrough in a nearly five-year investigation tied to the eve of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.

Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, faces federal explosives charges stemming from the placement of the devices on January 5, 2021, near the offices of both parties, just blocks from the Capitol and White House. The bombs, constructed from galvanized pipes, kitchen timers, wires, and other components, were discovered the following day amid the chaos of the Capitol breach and rendered safe by authorities without injuring anyone. Federal investigators have described the devices as viable and capable of causing serious harm or death.

Cole was arrested Thursday at his home after a renewed review of existing evidence, according to officials. An FBI affidavit details how investigators linked him to the crime through credit card records showing purchases of bomb components between 2019 and 2020, cellphone data placing his device near the sites between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. on January 5, and...