Two Plead Guilty in Case Linked to Attempted Assassination of Trump

Two individuals charged with supplying firearms to a man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump in Florida in 2024 have pleaded guilty to related gun charges. These developments come from recently unsealed court documents.

Tina Cooper and Ronnie Oxendin admitted to possessing unregistered firearms and engaging in firearm trafficking in June. Federal prosecutors revealed that they conspired in August 2024 to sell rifles manufactured in China. Their arrest occurred the following month when they were found concealed in the trees with a similar type of rifle on the golf course where Trump was playing.

Both Cooper and Oxendin were arrested on April 15, but major news outlets only reported on their cases and plea agreements recently. There’s another layer to this story, involving alleged ties to a so-called “Satanic Cult” that purportedly sought help from contacts in Ukraine and Russia, according to the DOJ.

Documents indicate that Cooper, an employee of a roofing company run by Oxendin in North Carolina, acted as a middleman by purchasing a rifle from Oxendin. Despite being informed that the rifle was meant for someone else, Oxendin proceeded with the sale.

While Oxendin was not charged for selling the firearm linked to the attempted assassination, the FBI discovered an unregistered shotgun at his residence, which led to his guilty plea.

Neither Cooper nor Oxendin responded to requests for comments on the situation.

After learning about the assassination allegation against Trump, Cooper advised Oxendin to delete messages related to the buyer and to not cooperate with the FBI.

In September, the Department of Justice charged the buyer, Routh, with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, among other firearm-related offenses. The DOJ claims Routh, who was reportedly supportive of Ukraine, feared that Trump would adversely affect the ongoing war with Russia. He allegedly sought to acquire a rocket launcher through a Ukrainian contact.

Cooper faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison, while Oxendin may get up to 10 years as part of their respective plea agreements.