Ryan Michael English, 26, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced Tuesday to 73 months in prison for an attempt to assassinate then-cabinet member nominee Scott Bessent at the U.S. Capitol using Molotov cocktails fashioned from bottles of vodka, according to an official press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Pirro: “The Defendant Is Now a Convicted Felon and Is Headed Where He Belongs: Prison”
“My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials that strike at the heart of our democratic process and are antithetical to the values we all depend on,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in the release. “The defendant is now a convicted felon and is headed where he belongs: prison.”
Judge Imposed Sentence Below What Prosecutors Requested
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced English to 73 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 121-month sentence, according to the Justice Department.
English Turned Himself In to Capitol Police
According to court documents cited in the release, English approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building at about 3:12 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2025, and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” He told the officer he was carrying a knife and two “Molotov Cocktails.”
Officers Recovered Incendiary Devices and a Knife
A search of English recovered a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices from his jacket pockets, each built from a 50-milliliter bottle of Absolut vodka with a gray strip of cloth soaked in alcohol-based hand sanitizer affixed to the top. Officers also recovered a green lighter from another pocket.
English Admitted Intent to Kill Cabinet Nominee Before Senate Vote
During the search, English confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a cabinet member nominee whose confirmation vote was scheduled before the U.S. Senate that day, according to the Justice Department. Police recovered a note addressed to a roommate in his pocket that 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 Said He Considered Burning Down a Washington Think Tank
English admitted to traveling to Washington with the intention of killing a government official or burning down a think tank based in the city, according to the Justice Department. A search of his car, parked on the 900 block of Independence Avenue SE, turned up a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with fabric cut from the sleeves.
English Pleaded Guilty in March
English, who also goes by “Raleigh Jane English,” pleaded guilty in March before Judge Contreras to one count of unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, according to a separate Justice Department press release announcing the plea. “Our system of justice depends on public officials being able to carry out their duties free from intimidation and fear,” Pirro said at the time. “This defendant’s threats crossed a clear legal line.”
Bessent Was Confirmed as Treasury Secretary Days After the Incident
Bessent, whom English has admitted he intended to kill, was confirmed by the Senate as Treasury secretary in the days following the January 2025 incident and has served in the role since, continuing to make public appearances and media appearances throughout 2025 and 2026.
Capitol Police Chief Joined in Announcing Both the Plea and Sentence
Chief Michael G. Sullivan of the U.S. Capitol Police joined Pirro in announcing both the March guilty plea and Tuesday’s sentencing. The case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Capitol Police, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
Age Listed Differently Across DOJ Releases
The Justice Department’s March release describing English’s guilty plea listed his age as 24, while Tuesday’s sentencing release listed him as 26, consistent with the roughly five months that passed between the two proceedings.
Case Filed as United States v. English in D.C. Federal Court
The case, United States v. English, was filed as case number 25-cr-00134 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.