A man suspected of plotting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump has been charged with federal gun crimes. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested on Sunday, September 16th, after allegedly attempting to shoot the Republican presidential candidate at his West Palm Beach golf course.
Routh was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number at his initial court appearance. He appeared calm during the brief hearing and answered ‘yes’ in a soft voice to several questions. A bond hearing was scheduled for September 23rd, while the date for pressing potential charges was set for September 30th.
The alleged attempt was thwarted by a US Secret Service agent who spotted the barrel of a rifle pointing out of a tree line on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Course. Routh was subsequently arrested by local police.
According to an FBI special agent’s complaint, Routh was in the vicinity of the former president’s Florida golf course for over 11 hours before being spotted by authorities. His mobile phone records indicate he was present from approximately 1:59 AM until 1:31 PM on September 15th.
Authorities recovered a loaded SKS-style rifle, a digital camera, a backpack, and a bag containing food from the tree line.
Routh’s criminal history includes convictions for possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction in North Carolina in December 2002, and multiple counts of possession of stolen goods in 2010.
Under US federal criminal law, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum five-year sentence.
This incident follows a July attack in which former President Trump was slightly wounded in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
