Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump over the weekend at the former president’s Florida golf club, was charged Monday with two gun-related counts during an appearance in federal court.
Shackled and wearing a dark prison uniform, Routh, 58, stood before magistrate Judge Ryon M McCabe at the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, where he was charged with possession of a firearm while a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
It arrives just one day after law enforcement officials identified Routh as the man who aimed an SKS-style assault rifle at the former president at Trump National Golf Club while Trump was playing a round of golf.
Possession of a firearm while a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, again with a $250,000 fine.
McCabe has set a detention hearing for September 23 and an arraignment for September 30.
Law enforcement officials say Routh, the owner of United Roofing, was hiding in bushes just a few hundred yards away from the former president when a Secret Service agent spotted the rifle poking through a fence.
It was later revealed that Routh’s cellphone records put him near the golf course between 2am and 1.31pm, when he was spotted by the Secret Service agent, according to court records.
The agent began to shoot toward the suspect, causing him to flee the scene in a vehicle. The gunman left behind a digital camera, a loaded semi-automatic-style rifle with a scope, and a plastic bag containing food.
Local law enforcement officials tracked down the Nissan SUV Routh fled in, thanks to a witness who took a photo of the license plate. They later apprehended Routh on I-95 and he was taken into custody. On Monday afternoon, police released dramatic video footage showing the moment of Routh’s arrest.
It is unclear what the motive of the attack may have been, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation is treating it as an “attempted assassination.”
According to the criminal complaint, the serial number on the semi-automatic-style rifle, determined to be an SKS-style rifle, was obliterated and “unreadable.”
Investigators indicated that the type of rifle found is not manufactured in Florida, and that there is reason to believe it was brought across state lines or from abroad.
Routh has a prior criminal record dating back to at least 2002, when he was convicted of possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction in Greensboro, North Carolina. Officials said he has faced nearly 100 previous charges.
During the 2002 incident, Routh was pulled over and allegedly put his hand on a firearm and then drove off and barricaded himself inside his business premises. The incident triggered a three-hour stand-off, according to a review of state court records.
In 2010, Routh was convicted on multiple counts of possession of stolen goods and was sentenced to probation. Further details of the charges are unclear.
Tina Cooper, a former employee of Routh’s, told The Independent she recalls Routh’s stand-off with police in 2002, claiming her former boss was known for doing “stupid s***”.
Cooper recalled that Routh “did some stupid s*** down here, and … got away with some of it,” but that he was a “good guy” who did “what he could” for other people.
The former employee did not recall Routh being overly political. Posts on his now-suspended social media profiles indicate he once supported Trump but became critical of the Republican presidential nominee in recent years.
Oran Routh, the son of the suspected gunman, told the Daily Mail that his father did not like Trump but that he didn’t think his father was a violent person.
During Monday’s court hearing, McCabe said Routh could not afford his own attorney because he had virtually no savings.
Prosecutors told McCabe they would be seeking pre-trial detention for Routh, indicating he was a flight risk and a danger to the community.
