A federal trial is scheduled to begin in February for a Virginia man accused of placing pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic national headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
U. S.
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District Judge Amir Ali set the February 16 trial date for Brian J. Cole Jr. during a brief court hearing.
The trial is expected to last approximately two weeks.
Defense attorney Zachary Lawson said no plea discussions have taken place between defense and prosecution.
The scheduling follows Judge Ali's ruling on Monday that Donald Trump's mass pardons for Capitol rioters do not apply to Cole's case.
The defense had argued that Cole's actions were directly tied to the events of January 6, but the judge rejected the motion to dismiss charges.
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Judge Ali, a Biden nominee, concluded that the blanket pardons issued by the former president explicitly covered only individuals convicted of offenses directly connected to the Capitol attack.
Federal agents arrested Cole nearly a year after Trump ordered the dismissal of cases and commuted sentences for more than 1,500 people.
Prosecutors said Cole confessed during FBI questioning after his arrest.
Authorities allege Cole placed two explosive devices outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the riot.
Law enforcement discovered and secured the unexploded devices on January 6.
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A federal grand jury indicted Cole on four counts: interstate transportation of explosives, malicious intent to use explosives, an armed act of terrorism, and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
