A Massachusetts resident was sentenced to 73 months in prison on Tuesday for an attempted assassination plot targeting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras also ordered three years of supervised release for Ryan Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield. The sentencing follows a guilty plea entered by English in May regarding the 2025 incident.
The case originated on January 27, 2025, when English was apprehended outside the U.S. Capitol. According to a U.S. Capitol Police report, officers stopped English on the afternoon of the same day the Senate was scheduled to vote on Bessent's confirmation. During a search, officers recovered a knife and two bottles described as improvised Molotov cocktails.
Federal prosecutors, who had requested a 10-year sentence, stated that English confessed to planning the assassination of a cabinet nominee. The U.S. Attorney’s office further noted that English admitted to plans to burn down a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Bessent was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Treasury Department later that afternoon on the day of the arrest.
For an individual like English, the 73-month sentence represents a concrete loss of liberty for over six years, followed by three years where their movements and activities will be monitored by the court system. The case also underscores the workload of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and federal prosecutors, who handled this alongside other high-profile threat investigations involving the executive branch. The U.S. Attorney's office stated that the prosecution is intended to serve as a deterrent against the intimidation or harm of public officials.
The legal process for this specific case concludes with this sentencing, though the broader context of security remains active. The U.S. Capitol Police continue to monitor threats following the reported spike in 2025. Secretary Bessent continues his duties at the Treasury Department, while English begins his term in federal prison effective immediately following the Tuesday ruling. No further court dates for English were reported in the case.