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Judge: Trump pardon does not apply to pipe bomb suspect
A federal judge is refusing to drop the case against January 6 pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr., who was arrested this past December.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge is refusing to drop the case against January 6 pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr., who was arrested this past December.
FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez says the suspect’s attorneys argued the case should be dismissed under President Donald Trump’s blanket pardon of January 6 defendants, but a district judge ruled against that on Monday.
RELATED: Brian Cole Jr. pleads not guilty to new charges
Cole is accused of placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The devices were discovered on January 6 but did not detonate.
For nearly five years, authorities sought the public’s help to identify the suspect, until the Justice Department announced charges against Cole in December. Court documents say Cole admitted to the act.
File Photo.
RELATED: Lawyer for alleged J6 pipe bomber says Trump's pardon should apply
About a year before Cole’s arrest, President Trump, entering his second term, issued pardons for more than 1,500 January 6 defendants. The judge concluded the blanket pardon applies only to people already convicted of crimes related to January 6, and Cole had not yet been charged when the pardons were issued.
Cole has already pleaded guilty. He is expected back in court Wednesday for a status hearing. No trial date has been scheduled.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.