Outrage Explodes Over Light Sentence For Trans Defendant Convicted In Assassination Plot Targeting Scott Bessent

Riley Jane English, a transgender individual identified in federal records as Ryan Michael English, was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras on Tuesday after he was convicted of attempting to prosecute U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The sentence comes in well below the 121 months of imprisonment that prosecutors had sought.

English, 25, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on on March 26, 2026, before Judge Contreras to one count of unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. The two charges carried maximum prison terms of up to 10 years and five years, respectively.

The case arose from events on January 27, 2025, the day the U.S. Senate confirmed Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary under President Donald Trump. According to the Justice Department, English traveled from Massachusetts to the Washington, D.C., area intending to kill a government official or burn down a Washington think tank. He ultimately focused on Bessent after hearing about his confirmation vote that day.

At approximately 3:12 p.m. Eastern Time that day, English approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer near the South Door of the Capitol and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” English then informed the officer that he was in possession of a knife and two Molotov cocktails.

Police recovered a folding knife, two 50-milliliter Absolut vodka bottles with gray cloth attached to the tops, and a lighter. Investigators later found additional vodka and matching cloth material inside English’s vehicle.

“I was going to kill Scott Bessent,” English told police when asked about his intent. When officers repeated the question, English confirmed, “Yes, sir.”

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BREAKING: A transgender defendant convicted of crimes connected to an attempted assassination of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been sentenced to 6 years in federal prison.

Bessent previously said the plot unfolded just two hours after he was sworn into office, citing the… pic.twitter.com/dHGiTa6X0U

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 18, 2026

The would-be assassin further stated that original targets had included House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and that burning down the Heritage Foundation had also been considered. The focus shifted to Bessent after English viewed him on television while stopping at a library in the Washington area.

English told investigators that a clip of Bessent discussing the federal minimum wage prompted the change, saying, “He said it with a smile on his face and that got under my skin.” He further indicated an intention to wait for Bessent at the Capitol but abandoned the plan after observing the security presence and recognizing that other people could be harmed

English told authorities that the idea had been under consideration “for a while because of Luigi Mangione,” — who recently pleaded guilty to assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — though he conceded that he had second thoughts due to the criminal case against Mangione. “I pushed that away because I was thinking like that is so stupid, that accomplishes nothing, that poor kid just threw his life away for like a minute of vengeance,” English told police.

Investigators also recovered a handwritten note that read, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters” and “Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.” English also told police that if other options failed, “I was going to slit my wrists on the White House steps,” adding that this would serve as an outlet to demonstrate seriousness.

Prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, requested a total sentence of 121 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Pirro had previously stated in connection with the guilty plea that public officials must be able to carry out their duties free from intimidation and that threats against them would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The defense asked for a lighter sentence due to English’s identity as a “young transsexual” who had experienced trauma. Judge Contreras ultimately imposed the 63-month sentence following the presentation of these positions and related materials.

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