A California man learned his fate Friday after attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Maryland.
Nicholas John Roske, 29, will serve eight years in prison for the crime he pleaded guilty to back in April. The Department of Justice initially advocated for a sentence of at least 30 years to life, according to officials.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Roske admitted to flying from the Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport on June 7, 2022 in Northern Virginia with a gun and some ammunition in his checked baggage.
He took a taxi with a backpack and suitcase and traveled to Montgomery County, Maryland in an attempt to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh.
Around 1:05 a.m. on June 8, two Deputy U.S. Marshals protecting Kavanaugh's home saw Roske show up and get out of the cab.
READ MORE: California man flew to Dulles, took taxi to Montgomery County to kill Supreme Court Justice
A short time later, Roske contacted a call taker with the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center and told them that he was having homicidal and suicidal thoughts.
Montgomery County Police officers responded to Roske's location and arrested him immediately.
Police found Roske carried an extensive arsenal including firearms, ammunition, tactical gear, burglary tools, and restraints.
At the police station, Roske told investigators that he was upset about a leaked Supreme Court draft decision on abortion and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
According to the DOJ, when asked “If everything was clear, what was your plan to do?,” Roske responded, “Break in [and] shoot” the Associate Justice.
“The attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was a disgusting attack against our entire judicial system by a profoundly disturbed individual,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will be appealing the woefully insufficient sentence imposed by the district court, which does not reflect the horrific facts of this case.”
“Nicholas Roske will now pay the price for attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court Justice in a violent plot to alter the court’s composition and its rulings,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Violence against federal judges or other public officials is unacceptable and will be met by the full force of the law. The FBI will work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to detect and stop these schemes and protect our nation.”
“Politically motivated violence has no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O’Hayes for the District of Maryland. “The attempt to assassinate a Supreme Court Justice is an extreme, unconscionable act that must be met with the full weight of the law. We, along with our federal partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing, prosecuting, and punishing anyone involved in planning and executing these brazen, violent crimes. Violence against others will not be tolerated.”
Following his sentence, Roske will be placed on lifetime supervised release.
