Woman Sentenced For Plot To Kill Treasury Secretary Bessent
1 day ago
A Massachusetts woman who brought homemade firebombs to the U.S. Capitol and told police she intended to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been sentenced to six years and one month in federal prison.
Riley English, 26, pleaded guilty in March to two weapons charges stemming from her arrest at the Capitol in January 2025. Investigators said English was carrying two homemade Molotov cocktails, a folding knife and a lighter when she approached Capitol Police.
Prosecutors said English traveled from Massachusetts to Washington intending to target several Republican political figures, including Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Authorities said she also discussed burning down the Heritage Foundation and told officers she had been influenced by Luigi Mangione, who was charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
English ultimately focused on Bessent after learning about his Senate confirmation proceedings. Bessent was not at the Capitol when English arrived, and the judge noted that the homemade firebombs appeared incapable of igniting. No one was injured.
Federal prosecutors sought a sentence of more than 10 years, describing the case as a planned attempted political assassination. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras instead imposed just over six years, followed by three years of supervised release. English will receive credit for nearly 20 months already spent in custody.
English told the court she never wanted to hurt anyone. Her defense said she was experiencing a mental health crisis and abusing drugs at the time of the incident.
Riley English, 26, pleaded guilty in March to two weapons charges stemming from her arrest at the Capitol in January 2025. Investigators said English was carrying two homemade Molotov cocktails, a folding knife and a lighter when she approached Capitol Police.
Prosecutors said English traveled from Massachusetts to Washington intending to target several Republican political figures, including Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Authorities said she also discussed burning down the Heritage Foundation and told officers she had been influenced by Luigi Mangione, who was charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
English ultimately focused on Bessent after learning about his Senate confirmation proceedings. Bessent was not at the Capitol when English arrived, and the judge noted that the homemade firebombs appeared incapable of igniting. No one was injured.
Federal prosecutors sought a sentence of more than 10 years, describing the case as a planned attempted political assassination. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras instead imposed just over six years, followed by three years of supervised release. English will receive credit for nearly 20 months already spent in custody.
English told the court she never wanted to hurt anyone. Her defense said she was experiencing a mental health crisis and abusing drugs at the time of the incident.
