Overview
- Brian J. Cole Jr. remains in custody as a federal judge considers prosecutors’ request for pretrial detention following a detailed Justice Department filing.
- Prosecutors say Cole confessed after his Dec. 4 arrest, describing how he built, transported, and placed two devices outside the RNC and DNC because the parties were “in charge.”
- The filing says he set 60‑minute timers and intended detonation, the FBI deemed the devices viable, and he later told agents he was relieved they did not explode.
- Investigators cite purchases of bomb components, materials recovered at his home, cell‑site and license‑plate records near the sites, and claim he wiped his phone data nearly 1,000 times.
- The defense seeks conditional release with home confinement and GPS monitoring, highlighting his lack of criminal history and diagnoses, and notes he denied targeting Congress or the Jan. 6 certification.