Judge sentences woman in firebomb plot to kill Treasury Secretary
Scott Bessent, US treasury secretary, during an Economic Club of New York (ECNY) event in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Photographer: Krisanne Johnson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A woman who admitted she planned to kill U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the day of his Senate confirmation was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in prison.
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Riley English, 26, claimed she was suffering a mental health crisis and was abusing drugs when she got into a vehicle and took off for the nation’s capital with a folding knife, a lighter, and two homemade firebombs.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced English to six years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. When handing down the ruling, Contreras noted that English’s plans had an "exceedingly low or non-existent" chance of success, adding that the Molotov cocktails did not appear capable of being lit. Additionally, he said, Bessent was not at the Capitol when English arrived.
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English pleaded guilty in March to two weapons charges. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 10 years, plus a month, pointing out that English had been plotting an "attempted political assassination" for more than a month, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan arguing that "this was not a chance encounter or an impulsive act."
Defense attorney Maria Jacob stated that English, a transgender woman, was "terrified and traumatized" by fears of what a second Trump administration might mean for transgender people, and Jacob contended that her client "was in a diminished state."
English had previously told investigators that she was influenced by Luigi Mangione, who is charged with killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Prosecutors said that English told investigators she was terminally ill and "wanted to do something before I go."
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While sentencing English, Contreras said, "There is no indication that she was acting rationally that day" and told the defendant that he hopes that the progress she has made while in jail so far will help her find the right path.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.