Ryan Routh didn't go to prison despite extensive rap sheet, Internet wonders why he 'never saw jail cell'
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged gunman in the apparent second assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump on Sunday, September 15, has a long list of priors over decades but reportedly never went to prison.
According to the Daily Mail, the 58-year-old North Carolina native has been arrested over a range of criminal activities which include felony larceny, hit and run, and brandishing a machine gun, but somehow managed to avoid incarceration.
Routh was spotted with a scoped assault rifle outside the fences of Trump's Florida golf club on Sunday, September 15 afternoon, while the GOP nominee was playing the fifth hole approximately 300 to 500 yards away. He was engaged by Secret Service agents and subsequently arrested while attempting to drive away.
In a federal courthouse hearing on the following morning, Routh was charged on two counts— possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He faces up to twenty years in prison over the charges.
Previous charges against Ryan Wesley Routh
Ryan Wesley Routh has faced a litany of charges and even been convicted before he was arrested for apparently trying to take out Trump over the weekend.
The most serious incident that he was involved in before took place in December 2002, when he fled a traffic stop and barricaded himself inside his roofing firm with a fully automatic gun.
He gave himself up after three hours and pleaded guilty to multiple charges. While he was sentenced to a minimum of 15 months in prison and 60 months probation, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records suggest he never actually went to prison or had any history of incarceration in the state.
The other serious convictions of Routh include possessing stolen goods and vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon back in 1989. He has also been arrested for dozens of misdemeanors, including writing bad checks, possessing controlled substances, and traffic offenses.
Routh also incurred heavy debt and has been sued by banks, businesses, and landlords. The IRS ordered him to pay nearly $32,000 in back taxes in 2008. State records show him owning over $160,000 in liens, judgments, and small claims.
Ryan Routh's record fans conspiracy online
Netizens reacting to the news on the website of the Daily Mail seem to promote the idea that Routh has powerful outside help that allowed him to avoid incarceration.
"No way this guy acted alone. Where do you get a scoped SKS with an 'obliterated' serial number? Especially when you don’t even live in Florida. Someone helped him. No question," wrote one person.
"A person who has committed serious felonies yet magically gets released each time... is usually an informant or an asset," stated another.
"You know why he never saw a jail cell? Because he’s untouchable," wrote one person.
"Lengthy rap sheet but no prison time. This guy is a CIA asset," added another.
"Tell me you're a CIA asset without telling me you're a CIA asset," commented an individual.
"He must be a grass if he has never been to jail then," suggested another.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
