A man suspected of being a Red Crocs fan has been accused of placing a homemade bomb outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in Washington, D.C., just before the January 6 riot. He is set to appear in federal court on Friday afternoon.
Brian Cole Jr., 30, is making his initial appearance in court after being arrested on Thursday. He’s facing serious charges, including transporting explosives across state lines with intentions of causing harm or property damage, as well as attempting to maliciously destroy property using explosives.
The hearing will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, the same judge who handled the January 6 mob case that President Trump later granted a pardon to.
Cole, from Woodbury, Virginia, has been linked to bomb-making activities that began in 2019. He reportedly left the explosives the night before the electoral votes of the 2020 elections were certified, outside the DNC and RNC headquarters in the Capitol Hill area.
Authorities claim video evidence captured Cole walking in D.C. on the night he allegedly left behind the device.
The explosives were discovered on January 6, 2021, amidst the turmoil caused by a large gathering of Trump supporters who converged on the capital as Congress was voting.
According to prosecutors, Cole began gathering bomb-making materials from various Northern Virginia stores in 2019, including multiple Home Depot locations, Micro Center, Lowe’s, and Walmart.
The devices are said to have contained steel pipes, 9-volt batteries, and other common kitchen items.
During the Biden administration, a reward of $500,000 was offered for information leading to Cole’s arrest, which the Trump administration renewed in October.
The FBI Director, Kash Patel, has alleged that the Biden administration withheld evidence that might have resulted in Cole’s earlier capture.
