WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who left two pipe bombs near the Capitol the day before the Jan. 6, 2021 riots five times, to $500,000, to $500,000, the U.S. Attorney said. FBI on Wednesday.
The announcement, made ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol, indicates that federal investigators are still stumped as to the identity of the person who left the devices outside the Republican National Committee headquarters and the Democratic National Committee on Capitol Hill.
In a press release, the office noted that «many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available for purchase in stores and online,» including «1×8-inch threaded galvanized tubing, end caps, kitchen timers , cables, clips and homemade black powder».
«By increasing the reward for information on the pipe bomb suspect from $100,000 to $500,000, the FBI and our partners are trying to encourage the American public to take another look at our information search websitewhich includes images and videos of the suspect, the suspect’s backpack, the suspect’s shoes, the explosive devices, and a map of the route the suspect walked the night the pipe bombs were planted,” the office said.
David Sundberg, deputy director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, said, «A dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing the evidence and digital media related to this case. «For almost two years.
The FBI, in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DC Metropolitan Police Department, «conducted approximately 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 video files, and evaluated nearly 500 leads.» the office said.
“We remain grateful to the American people, who have provided valuable advice that has helped us move the investigation forward,” Sundberg added. “With the reward being significantly higher, we urge those who have previously been hesitant to contact us, or didn’t realize they had important information, to review the information on our website and submit anything relevant. Despite the unprecedented volume of data review involved in this case, the FBI and our partners continue to work tirelessly to bring the perpetrator of these dangerous attempted attacks to justice.»
The FBI has arrested about 900 people in connection with the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Last year, a former US Capitol Police officer who responded to one of the bombings on January 6 was convicted of felony obstruction for deleting messages he sent to a Capitol rioter advising him to delete the Facebook posts indicating that he entered the building.
“Although these bombs did not go off, it is important to remember that the suspect walked through residential and commercial areas on Capitol Hill, just a few blocks from the US Capitol, with viable homemade bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders. the FBI press release said. . «In addition, the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or to themselves.»