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FORT PIERCE — With prosecutors nearing the end of their case, Ryan Routh, accused of seeking to assassinate President Donald Trump, attempted to turn two government witnesses into character witnesses on his behalf.
The witnesses were brothers Samuel and Lazaro Plata, both of whom once worked for Routh’s roofing company in North Carolina. They took the stand on the afternoon of Sept. 17.
Routh faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and firearms violations in the wake of the Sep. 15, 2024, incident at Trump International Golf Club near West Palm Beach. If convicted of the first charge, Routh, 59, could be sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case by Sept. 19. At that time, Routh, who is representing himself, can present his case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
Brothers who once worked for Ryan Routh take witness stand
The Plata siblings, both witnesses for the prosecution, testified that Routh left a box containing multiple items, including bullet cartridges, pipes and four cellular phones, behind Lazaro Plata’s home in April 2024.
The box also reportedly included a 12-page letter in which Routh predicted that his assassination attempt would fail and in which he extended an offer of $150,000 to the person who could complete the act.
The letter prompted a debate between Routh and government prosecutors, who sought to display a few sentences that specifically referenced the attempted assassination of Trump.
Routh argued that he should be able to mention a reference in the letter to “shredding” Trump’s plane, arguing it would add context to the substance of the letter and stating the letter contained no references to a golf course.
Cannon rejected Routh’s arguments and allowed the prosecutors to show the unredacted portion of the letter. Speaking through Spanish translators, the Plata brothers told jurors that Routh used to be their boss and said that at one point they considered him to be a friend.
Lazaro Plata stated Routh left the box behind his home in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the item remaining untouched until news broke about the failed assassination attempt against Trump.
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During his cross-examination, Routh focused on questions pertaining to his character, asking the Platas whether they had ever seen him donate time, or offer a job to someone in need, to which Plaza replied that he had..
“Have I ever gotten mad?” he asked Samuel Plata.
“Not with me,” Plata said.
In follow-up questioning from prosecutors, Lazaro Plata testified that Routh owed money to several people who worked for him.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ryan Routh trial: What ex-employees think of suspected Trump shooter
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