Federal judge orders Jan. 6 pipe bomb suspect to remain detained ahead of trial

Published January 2, 2026 2:13pm ET



A federal judge said Friday that Brian Cole Jr., the Virginia man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee buildings on Jan. 5, 2021, will remain in federal detention ahead of his trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh declined to release Cole to home detention, writing in his Friday order that the Justice Department sufficiently proved that “there are no conditions of release the Court could impose to reasonably assure the safety of the community.”

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