The D.C. pipe bombing suspect is back in the news.
On Thursday, a Federal Judge made a ruling on whether Brian Cole, the man accused of placing pipe bombs outside of the DNC and RNC buildings in Washington, D.C., would receive a conditional release.
In a ruling, the Federal Judge ruled that Cole’s prior actions pose a dangerous threat to the general public and denied a conditional release.
The Hill reported more on the Judge’s ruling and what guided him to keep Cole behind bars:
The man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee offices on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot will remain locked up while awaiting trial, a federal magistrate judge ruled.
Judge Matthew Sharbaugh wrote in an order Friday that Brian Cole Jr.’s past alleged conduct demonstrates a “startling and significant capacity for dangerousness,” but acknowledged the past alone cannot inform pretrial detention.
The judge said Cole’s apparent continued purchasing of materials used to make explosives through the summer of 2022 — on top of investigators finding those materials in his home and car upon his arrest — refutes the notion that the past alleged conduct amounted to “some anomalous event.”
“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,” Sharbaugh wrote.
Cole was arrested last month and hit with two explosive-related charges after what government officials called an “aha moment” led to a breakthrough in a nearly five-year investigation.
Sharbaugh also ruled Friday that he will accept the indictment a local Washington, D.C., grand jury returned against Cole on the same two counts, after the government agreed to promptly pursue a superseding indictment from a federal grand jury once those panels are back in session.
Fox News broke the story:
JUST IN: A federal judge has ruled the alleged DC pipe bomber will remain in custody, rejecting an argument from his defense team that he poses no ongoing threat to the community.
Brian Cole is accused of planting multiple pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC nearly five years… pic.twitter.com/yrUhHmQQTl— Outnumbered (@OutnumberedFNC) January 2, 2026
NBC News reported that the attorney for Cole claimed he was diagnosed with autism:
In a federal court filing Tuesday morning, Cole’s attorneys said he has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The filing described his diagnosis as a mild form of autism.
ADVERTISEMENTSeveral character reference letters from people who say they’ve known Cole for years were included in the filing.
“While I understand the seriousness of the charges against Brian Cole Jr., these charges seem totally out of character from the Brian Cole Jr. that I have observed over many years,” a person who has known Cole for 22 years wrote. The person’s name was redacted.
Cole’s attorneys wrote that the government has not presented any evidence that suggests evasive conduct or resistance to law enforcement. They argued that Cole doesn’t pose an ongoing threat to the community and that he is happy to comply with all court-ordered restrictions.
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