Judge refuses to order release of man charged with planting pipe bombs on eve of Capitol riot
Yahoo••general
Key Points:
- U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh denied pretrial release for Brian J. Cole Jr., who is charged with planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national party headquarters on January 5, 2021.
- Prosecutors say Cole confessed to the bomb placements hours before the Capitol riot, expressing hope that the explosives would detonate and create news, posing a significant public danger.
- Cole's defense argued for home detention citing his lack of criminal record, diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and OCD, and stable family home, but the judge found these insufficient to mitigate the risk he poses.
- Cole allegedly continued acquiring bomb-making materials months after the riot, and the judge expressed concern about the potential for impulsive, dangerous behavior to recur
