After nearly five years, the January 6 pipe bomber was arrested by the FBI on Thursday.
Brian Cole, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was taken into custody and charged with use of an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.
Cole planted pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, the night before the Capitol riot.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said during a press conference on Thursday that the FBI solved the case without any new tips or witnesses.
The FBI identified Cole based on his phone pings and transaction history on his credit cards, according to an affidavit:
The FBI has identified one bank checking account and six credit cards (the “Accounts”) used by COLE. The FBI obtained records for the checking account and three credit cards for the time period January 2018 to January 2021. Three additional credit cards were obtained for the time period of January 2018 to November 2025. The FBI reviewed the transaction history for all of these Accounts.