WASHINGTON — DC pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. appeared emotionless in court Wednesday as he pleaded not guilty to new terrorism charges.
Cole, 30, showed up in federal court wearing tan jail clothes and glasses, as he was read a new indictment charging him with one count of attempt to use weapons of mass destruction and one count of an act of terrorism while armed — on top of the two bomb charges he previously faced.
When asked how he pleaded, a stoic Cole responded: “Not guilty.”
Prosecutors claim Cole, of Woodbridge, Va., planted two homemade explosives stashed in backpacks outside of the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters in the nation’s capitol the night before the Jan. 6 riot. The bombs never went off.
The new indictment alleges that Cole was attempting to “influence policy” and “intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population” with his bombing plan.
Cole was arrested five years after the fact at his parents house by federal authorities and was initially just charged with transporting explosives across state lines with intent to kill, injury and cause damage as well as attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.
Cole — who is being held behind bars until his trial — faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge.
Cole allegedly admitted to the crimes in an interview with investigators, explaining he was “bewildered” by conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election and saying he “snapped” after “watching everything, just everything getting worse,” according to prosecutors.
Cole as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and has no criminal history, his lawyers have said.
Last month, Cole’s lawyers filed papers seeking to have his whole case tossed out on the grounds he should be covered by President Trump’s “sweeping” pardons of Jan. 6 protesters — a bid which is still pending.
