A transgender woman who plotted to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Reily Jane English, 25, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was arrested on January 27, 2025, outside the U.S. Capitol. She told a police officer, "I was going to kill Scott Bessent." At the time of her arrest, English was carrying two Molotov cocktails and a folding knife.
US District Judge Rudolph Contreras handed down the sentence Tuesday after English pleaded guilty to two counts: unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, and carrying a weapon, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds. The judge, appointed by former President Barack Obama, described the offense as "very serious" but also noted English's struggles with mental health.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence, but Contreras determined the range was too high, citing that no one was harmed, the plan was "basically impossible to succeed," and English surrendered before the plot could advance.
English, who federal records also identify as Ryan Michael English, reportedly told investigators that she was inspired by a recent homicide in New York City. She had traveled from Massachusetts to Washington with the intention of killing a government official and setting fire to a think tank. Bessent was undergoing Senate confirmation as Trump's Treasury Secretary on the day of English's arrest.
English approached a police officer at the South Door of the Capitol at 3:12 p.m. stating, "I'd like to turn myself in." She pleaded guilty on March 26 to the charges.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that her office "will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials." "The defendant is now a convicted felon and is headed where he belongs: prison," Pirro added.
During the sentencing, English, who appeared in court in an orange jumpsuit, told the judge, "I have a lot on my plate with an upcoming surgery. I want a chance to work and start a family of my own. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get sober and get right in my mind."
The defense requested English be placed in a female correctional facility, a decision the judge noted falls under the purview of the Bureau of Prisons. "You've had a very difficult life with a lot of challenges," Contreras told English. "You're young, you still have a significant portion of your life. Good luck to you."
In addition to the prison term, Contreras ordered three years of supervised release. English will receive credit for approximately 20 months already served.
English spent about a month planning the attack, took measures to avoid tracking, used a false identity at a library for research, and purchased an atlas to navigate Washington. Initial targets included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Heritage Foundation. Her focus shifted to Bessent after she saw a television clip of him discussing the federal minimum wage at a library, which she told investigators "got under my skin."
Officers recovered two Molotov cocktails, made from vodka bottles filled with hand sanitizer and cloth wicks, a folding knife, and a lighter. A search of English's car revealed a larger bottle of vodka and a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off. A handwritten note found in her pocket read in part, "This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying."
English also admitted to considering suicide on the White House steps if her plan failed and abandoned the assassination attempt upon observing the security presence and the potential harm to bystanders.