US woman sentenced to six years in prison over plot to kill treasury secretary
Summary
A woman from Massachusetts was sentenced to more than six years in prison for planning to kill Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, using homemade firebombs at the US Capitol in January 2025. She said she was going through a mental health crisis and drug abuse at the time and had no real chance of harming anyone.Key Facts
- Riley English, 26, brought homemade firebombs to the US Capitol intending to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his Senate confirmation.
- English was experiencing mental health problems and drug abuse when she made the plan.
- She was sentenced to six years and one month in prison, with credit for nearly 20 months already served.
- No one was hurt, and the firebombs appeared unable to ignite.
- Prosecutors recommended a longer sentence of over 10 years, calling the plan an attempted political assassination.
- English was inspired by another criminal case and planned attacks on other political figures and a conservative thinktank.
- Her defense argued she was traumatized and acting irrationally due to fears for transgender people under President Donald Trump’s second term.
- The judge said her chance of success was extremely low and viewed her actions as a cry for help.
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