A biological male who identifies as a woman, was sentenced to 63 months (6 years and 1 month) Tuesday for a plot to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Prosecutors sought at least 10 years prison for Riley Jane English, 25, who is identified in federal records as Ryan Michael English. English pleaded guilty on March 26 to unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm and carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on the grounds of the U.S.
"I was going to kill Scott Bessent," English told police, who repeated the question back, asking, "Kill Scott Bessent?" Federal court documents identify English as a transgender woman, adding another story of several high-profile acts of violence involving transgender assailants. English, who was inspired by Luigi Mangione, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras.
The defendants faced two charges carrying prison terms of up to 10 years and five years, respectively. ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT US CAPITOL BARRICADE AS POLICE PROBE WHY HE DROVE ONTO RESTRICTED GROUNDS Prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, sought a "total sentence of 121 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release." Pirro rejected the defendant's argument for a lighter sentence for a transgender mental health issue as a "young transexual woman who has experienced trauma and suffering from the day she was born." English, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, "had been thinking about for this for a while because of Luigi Mangione," according to a statement to police, prosecutors said.
The Justice Department said English traveled from Massachusetts to the Washington area Jan. 27, 2025, intending to kill a government official or burn down a Washington think tank. English ultimately focused on Bessent, who was being confirmed by the Senate that day as President Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary. "Our system of justice depends on public officials being able to carry out their duties free from intimidation and fear," Pirro wrote in a statement announcing English's guilty plea in March.
"This defendant’s threats crossed a clear legal line, and today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to protecting those who serve. "Anyone who threatens violence against government officials will be identified, charged, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." At about 3:12 p.m. ET on Jan. 27, 2025, English approached a U.S.
Capitol Police officer near the South Door of the Capitol and said, "I’d like to turn myself in." INTERROGATION VIDEO SHOWS TRANS KILLER’S CALM CONFESSION TO AMBUSHING PARENTS OVER GENDER TRANSITION BATTLE English told the officer about a knife and two Molotov cocktails. Police found a folding knife, two 50-milliliter Absolut vodka bottles with gray cloth attached to the tops and a lighter, according to court records. Investigators later found additional vodka and material matching the cloth used in the incendiary devices inside English’s vehicle.
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