Massachusetts Woman Gets 6 Years for Plot to Kill Treasury Secretary

A Massachusetts woman who admitted to bringing homemade firebombs to the U.S. Capitol with the intent of killing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was sentenced on Tuesday to six years and one month in federal prison.

Riley English, 26, of South Deerfield, told the court she was in the midst of a mental health crisis and struggling with drug abuse when she drove to Washington in January 2025. She approached Capitol Police on the day of Bessent's Senate confirmation hearing and stated she was there to kill him.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone," English told U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. "I'm not a political person. I'm not a violent person."

Judge Contreras, an Obama appointee, acknowledged English's difficult circumstances, saying, "You've had a very difficult life. Hopefully, the progress you've made in jail to this date has set you on the right path."

The judge noted that no one was injured and that English's plan had an "exceedingly low or non-existent" chance of success. Bessent was not at the Capitol when English arrived, and the Molotov cocktails she carried appeared incapable of igniting.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence, describing the case as an "attempted political assassination" that was planned for at least a month. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan argued, "This was not a chance encounter or an impulsive act."

English's defense attorney, Maria Jacob, said her client was "terrified and traumatized" by fears for transgender people under the incoming administration, and argued she was in a diminished mental state.

Investigators found a folding knife, two homemade firebombs, and a lighter in English's possession. She told police she was influenced by Luigi Mangione, the man charged in the shooting of a UnitedHealthcare CEO, and said she was "on a mission." English also mentioned intentions to target other Republican figures and the Heritage Foundation before shifting her focus to Bessent.

English has been in custody since her arrest and will receive credit for the nearly 20 months already served. She will also face three years of supervised release after her prison term.