A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after reportedly showing up to the Arlington home of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russ Vought while armed.
Colin Demarco, 26, was taken into custody Jan. 22, five months after the Aug. 10 incident.
The Arlington County Police Department announced Demarco’s arrest Thursday evening, though the arrest — and Vought’s identity as the alleged target — was first reported hours earlier by CBS News.
NBC News later confirmed, citing sources, that Vought was the would-be victim.
Around 3:15 p.m. that day, a witness saw Demarco arrive at Vought’s Alcova Heights home wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves. The witness also believed that Demarco was concealing a firearm under his shirt, police said.
Demarco was captured on a doorbell camera looking through Vought’s mailbox, and also approached the witness to ask if anybody was home, CBS News reported.
Demarco then left the scene, ACPD said. The witness immediately contacted police, though Demarco was not located during the subsequent search.
Investigators later identified Demarco as the suspect and obtained search warrants for his digital records.
“As a result of these search warrants, police recovered digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, had information detailing locations of firearms possessed by a relative and had a guide detailing tips to prevent criminal detection,” ACPD said.
“Additionally, the suspect had posted online about the victim and had online discussions appearing to solicit others to murder the victim. Within days of these online solicitations, the August 10 incident occurred where the suspect arrived at the victim’s address wearing a mask and gloves, possibly concealing a firearm and inquired about the victim.”
Vought has been a controversial figure in political circles, dating back before his appointment leading OMB.
The 49-year-old, who also led the office during President Trump’s first term, is perhaps best known as a contributor to Project 2025, the policy agenda that sought to “assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives … to deconstruct the administrative state.”
Vought has also been a staunch proponent of Schedule F, a plan that would recategorize thousands of government employees and eliminate removal protections, essentially making them at-will employees.
In a statement provided to CBS News, a spokesperson for OMB said the office was “grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe.”
Demarco faces one count each of four charges: first-degree attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder, carrying a concealed weapon and wearing a mask in public. He faces decades in prison if convicted on all charges.
Demarco, who remains housed in the Arlington County Detention Facility, will next appear in General District Court on Feb. 23 for a preliminary hearing, according to online court records.
The ACPD press release about the arrest is below.
The Arlington County Police Department is announcing the arrest of a Maryland man following a month’s long criminal investigation. Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, MD is charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Solicitation to Commit Murder, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Wearing a Mask in Public to Conceal Identity. He was taken into custody at his residence on January 16 and later extradited to the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 3:15 p.m. on August 10, 2025, Arlington County Police were dispatched […] for the report of a suspicious person. A witness reported observing a male suspect, who was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, carrying a backpack and appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt, on the victim’s porch. The suspect subsequently approached the witness and inquired about the victim before leaving the scene. The witness then contacted police and responding officers established a perimeter and canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results. The incident was captured on home surveillance video and the suspect was subsequently identified.
During the course of the investigation, the Arlington County Police Department executed search warrants for digital records associated with the suspect. As a result of these search warrants, police recovered digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, had information detailing locations of firearms possessed by a relative and had a guide detailing tips to prevent criminal detection. Additionally, the suspect had posted online about the victim and had online discussions appearing to solicit others to murder the victim. Within days of these online solicitations, the August 10 incident occurred where the suspect arrived at the victim’s address wearing a mask and gloves, possibly concealing a firearm and inquired about the victim. As a result of the investigation, detectives obtained the criminal warrants for the suspect’s arrest.
This remains an active investigation and anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
