MIAMI — Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced to life plus 84 months in federal prison for the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and related violent and firearms offenses.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence after a federal jury found Routh guilty on all five counts in the indictment.
In September 2025, following a two-week trial in Fort Pierce, a jury convicted Routh of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal law enforcement officer and multiple firearms offenses.
According to evidence presented at trial, then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano was patrolling one hole ahead of Trump at Trump International Golf Club when he saw Routh pointing what appeared to be an AK-47-style rifle from a concealed sniper’s position along a fence line bordering the course. Fearing for his life and Trump’s, Fercano fired at Routh, who fled.
Authorities later recovered a Norinco SKS rifle equipped with a scope, a loaded magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber, steel armor plates and a camera attached to a fence and aimed at the sixth green of the golf course where Trump was about to play.
A civilian witness reported seeing Routh run across a roadway and enter a black Nissan Xterra. Officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, apprehended him while he was traveling northbound on Interstate 95.
A search of the vehicle uncovered multiple mobile phones and a list of international flights along with directions to Miami International Airport. Cell phone records showed that between Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, 2024, Routh’s phone accessed cell towers near Trump International Golf Club and the president’s residence at Mar-a-Lago on multiple occasions.
Trial testimony also established that in April 2024, Routh dropped off a box at a witness’s residence after another trip to the area near the golf course. Inside was a handwritten letter addressed “Dear World,” in which Routh wrote, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the sentencing carries broader significance.
“Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system," Bondi said. “Thanks to our prosecutors in the National Security Division and the Southern District of Florida, Routh will never walk free again.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said, “Routh attempted to assassinate President Trump and thereby cast our Nation into what would have been one of its darkest periods. Today’s sentence is a resounding rejection of political violence and a clear reminder that we resolve our differences through civil discourse, democratic elections, and lawful protest, not by force.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida credited law enforcement with preventing further harm.
“This life sentence reflects a fundamental truth: political violence is un-American and will never be tolerated,” he said. “An attempted assassination of a presidential candidate is an attack on our democratic process and the rule of law itself. This assassination attempt was stopped by the courage and professionalism of U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, whose decisive actions protected lives and prevented a national tragedy. Today’s life sentence ensures the defendant will never again threaten public safety and sends a clear message that those who choose violence to advance their beliefs will face swift, certain, and decisive justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said, “Routh’s plan to kill a major presidential candidate, President Donald Trump, was a despicable attack on our democratic system. Thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department partners, he will pay a high price for his actions. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the justice system will not tolerate such heinous attacks.”
FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles described the investigation as extensive.
“Political violence is unacceptable in the United States, and this sentence is commensurate with the gravity of Routh’s actions,” Skiles said. “The investigation was immense and left no stone unturned. The FBI worked shoulder to shoulder with the Secret Service, ATF, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI covered leads across the country and around the globe using all the tools and techniques at our disposal to include FBI Laboratory analysis, the Computer Analysis Response Team and the Cellular Analysis Survey Team. I commend our law enforcement partners and investigative team for their tireless work which led to today’s result.”
The case was investigated by FBI Miami with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Palm Beach and Martin county sheriff’s offices. Prosecutors included attorneys from the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.