WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The man suspected of planting pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack is due to make his first court appearance on Friday after the Justice Department touted a break in a case that long vexed investigators.

As of this writing, the Blaze News report remained unconfirmed, and federal authorities had not identified Kerkhoff as a suspect.

The FBI arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man and charged him on Thursday with planting a pair of pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump,