Federal prosecutors on Tuesday indicted Ryan Routh, 58, on a charge of attempted assassination of a political candidate, alleging he intended to kill former U.S. President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course.
Routh was previously facing two gun-related charges after authorities said he pointed a rifle through a fence at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach on September 15 while the Republican presidential candidate was golfing there. He has been ordered to remain in jail awaiting trial.
The new charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland called the alleged attempt a “heinous act” and said the Justice Department would “spare no resource” on the case.
Prosecutors claim Routh spent a month in South Florida, with cell phone data placing him near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. They allege he had a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump spoke or was expected to appear.
According to court filings, months before the incident, Routh allegedly dropped off a letter to an unidentified person alluding to “an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.”
A U.S. Secret Service agent reportedly opened fire after discovering the gun poking through the fence during a security sweep, causing Routh to flee. He was arrested within an hour along a Florida highway.
Routh has not yet entered a plea, and his lawyers unsuccessfully sought to have him released on bond.
