Judge Orders Suspect to Remain in Custody Ahead of Trial

Federal Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh has denied a request for pre-trial release of Brian Cole, a 30-year-old man charged with planting two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national parties on January 6, 2021.

Cole had confessed to placing the explosives, which he claimed were intended to cause harm and “hoped there would be news about it”. The magistrate ruled that there are no conditions of release that can reasonably protect the public from the danger posed by Cole. Prosecutors stated that Cole believed someone needed to “speak up” for those who believed the 2020 election was stolen, and targeted the country’s political parties because they were “in charge”.

Cole had been arrested last month and told investigators that he wanted to target the parties due to their role in the election process. Trump and his allies had falsely claimed the 2020 vote was marred by widespread fraud.

Cole faces up to 10 years of imprisonment on one charge and up to 20 years of imprisonment on a second charge, which carries a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. His lawyers requested release on home detention with GPS monitoring, citing Cole’s stable home life and lack of criminal record.

However, the magistrate concluded that Cole’s sudden motivation for planting the bombs presents concerns about his potential for future impulsive conduct. Cole had continued to purchase bomb-making components after the January 6 riot.

Source: Al Jazeera