Donald Trump's Attempted Shooting Suspect Threatened With Charges Of Attempted Murder

JAKARTA - The United States Department of Justice plans to indict a man accused of hiding with a firearm on former President Donald Trump's golf course in Florida, on charges of attempted murder of a prime political candidate, with a life sentence if found guilty, a prosecutor said on Monday.

Ryan Routh, 58, was ordered by US District Court Judge Ryon McCabe to remain in prison without guarantees, pending trial on two counts of firearms brought against him following his arrest on September 15.

Judge McCabe said prosecutors had documented Routh's efforts to "stalk" Trump for about a month in southern Florida "in a clear bid to kill him".

Prosecutor Mark Dispoto said the Justice Department would ask the grand jury to file a more serious assassination attempt against Routh, who was handcuffed and injured at the waist during a hearing before Judge McCabe, in which prosecutors detailed some of the evidence he had collected.

Prosecutors said Routh wrote a letter a few months earlier referring to a "murder attempt" on Republican presidential candidates and a reward of 150,000 US dollars for his life.

He also set up a "sang sniper" near the sixth hole at Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach in an attempt to kill him, Dispoto said, but was thwarted when a US Secret Service agent opened fire after seeing a rifle sticking behind the fence.

"It was an easy shot," Dispoto said of Routh's position, adding Trump would arrive in the area about 15 minutes later.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing Routh did not succeed in asking for his release with a guarantee of 250,000 US dollars, questioning prosecution evidence and arguing Routh had tried to help democracies including Ukraine and Taiwan.

Routh wore dark blue clothes during the trial. He didn't speak.

Prosecutors said months before the incident, Routh left a box containing ammunition, metal pipe, four calls and a handwritten letter addressed to "the whole world" containing gifts to arrest Trump at the home of an unnamed civilian witness.

"This is an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, but I failed," the suspect wrote, according to a court file filed by the prosecutor.

"I will offer 150,000 dollars to anyone who can complete the job."

Kristy Militello, a lawyer representing Routh, argues the letter shows "intent to fail" in the murder.

"Maybe this is more of an act of publicity than anything else," Militello said.

Separately, FBI Special Agent Christian Hull, who testified during the trial, revealed another letter had been found near where Routh was suspected of being on a golf course addressed to The New York Times. Hull did not reveal the contents and the letter was not used as evidence by prosecutors.

Prosecutors also said when Routh was arrested this month his car contained a list of dates handwritten in August, September and October, places where Trump had appeared or were expected to appear.

They also said a search for cell phone footage showed the device had sent signals to towers near the Trump International golf course where the incident occurred and near the Mar-a-Lago resort where Trump lives.

So far Routh has been charged with possession of firearms as convicted criminals and possession of firearms with deleted serial numbers. He has not filed a defense.

Separately, Republican Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday, "The charges filed against the merchant killer were only slaps on the wrist."

Routh, a struggling roof contractor who last lived in Hawaii, has a criminal record. He is a vocal Ukrainian supporter who was interviewed about his unreasonable attempts to recruit Afghans to fight the Russian invasion.

In December 2002, Routh was convicted in North Carolina of possessing weapons of mass destruction. He was also convicted of possessing stolen goods in 2010, according to court records.