(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Justice Department has charged two people in North Carolina for helping Ryan Routh obtain his SKS-style rifle as part of his alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump last September at his Palm Beach golf course.
The co-conspirators, Tina Brown Cooper and Ronnie Jay Oxendine, were both charged in March, and have already pled guilty. Their cases have not been publicized until now.
Neither Cooper nor Oxendine knew what Routh was planning, according to court records.
According to the DOJ, Routh called Cooper, who was his employee at his roofing business, last July about procuring a rifle.
BREAKING NEWS: The DOJ has charged 2 co-conspirators who helped Ryan Routh in his alleged plot to assassinate Trump.
The co-conspirators, Tina Brown Cooper and Ronnie Jay Oxendine, were both charged in March, and have already pled guilty. Their cases have not been publicized… https://t.co/ePRJ9DTOsa pic.twitter.com/VNPik1zcyG— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) July 8, 2025
“Cooper recommended to Routh that he buy the firearm from a pawn shop, and Routh then reminded her that he was unable to purchase a firearm in his true name because he was a convicted felon. Cooper then agreed to help Routh acquire a firearm,” the DOJ stated in court records.
Cooper then reached out to Oxendine, whom she now works for at Sons Roofing Company in Greensboro.
At first, Oxendine apparently didn’t know Cooper was buying the gun for Routh. When they all showed up to his business on Aug. 2, Oxendine was surprised to see Routh, whom he hadn’t seen in over a decade and thought was living in Hawaii.
“Oxendine was outside of the business when Cooper, her daughter, and Routh arrived. Oxendine asked Cooper why Routh was there; Cooper explained that the SKS rifle was actually for Routh. Oxendine handed the SKS rifle to Routh. Routh paid Oxendine $350 in cash for the SKS rifle and paid Cooper $100 in cash for arranging the sale,” court records state.
“Oxendine asked Cooper why she did not tell him the firearm was for Routh. Cooper responded that she though Oxendine would have an issue with Routh being the recipient of the firearm.”
The criminal conspiracy didn’t end there. Later on the same day Routh purchased the gun, he asked Cooper to inquire about the location of the rifle’s serial numbers—allegedly so he could obliterate them.
Then, he asked Cooper if she could help him procure a .50-caliber sniper rifle. Oxendine said he didn’t have one, leaving Routh and his former employee to search elsewhere.
“Over the course of the next week, Routh and Cooper discussed the price of the .50 caliber rifle Routh wanted ($2500 “on the street”), their efforts to find one, and Routh’s inability to pass a background check to purchase such a gun,” court records state.
These text messages show that Routh's co-conspirators were very worried after he tried killing Trump.
It doesn't appear they knew what Routh was planning. pic.twitter.com/b0gk82yVXx— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) July 8, 2025
After Routh was arrested on Sept. 15, Brown and Oxendine both scrambled to conceal their links to him, records show. Oxendine texted Brown on Sept. 19 to let her know that the FBI visited him, and Brown told him: “Do not admit to anything.”
Brown initially denied concealing her links to Routh until agents showed her the text messages, according to court records.
Last month, Brown struck a deal with the DOJ to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to purchase a firearm for a known felon. Oxendine, who is not a U.S. citizen, also struck a deal to plead guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm—agents found a sawed-off shotgun at his business.
Both are set to be sentenced in October. Routh is set to go to trial in September, but he’s asked the court to dismiss his attorneys—so presumably that date will be delayed.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
