Ryan Wesley Routh has entered a plea of not guilty to federal charges related to an alleged attempt to assassinate former US President Donald Trump at Trump's Florida golf club, ABC News reports.
Routh, 58, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach on Monday for a brief arraignment that lasted less than five minutes.
Routh’s legal team submitted the not guilty plea on his behalf.
The charges against Routh initially included possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. These stem from the September 15 incident at Trump International Golf Club.
Last week, Routh was indicted on three additional charges: attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assaulting a federal officer. These new charges come on top of the two existing federal firearms charges.
Routh is currently being held without bail.
Prosecutors allege that Routh had in his possession a list of dates and locations from August to October where Trump had been or was scheduled to be. They suspect he visited the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort multiple times in the month leading up to his arrest, according to a detention filing.
In a memo, prosecutors also disclosed that Routh allegedly sent a letter "several months prior" to his arrest to a civilian witness, stating, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you."
The government argued that Routh's sole purpose for being in West Palm Beach on September 15 was "for one reason and one reason only and that was to kill the former President of the United States."