Wasn't that their plan
Gang rape, beat then kill.. sorta like some of the children trying to make their way to the border go though because of Biden
But you like Biden, you agree with his policies, guess you want femicide to happen to young girls
Six men charged in alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 😲
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
Wasn't that their plan
Gang rape, beat then kill.. sorta like some of the children trying to make their way to the border go though because of Biden
But you like Biden, you agree with his policies, guess you want femicide to happen to young girls
Depends on you who you ask apparently. They aren't guilty of anything but the FBI got them arrested on information that said they planned it so...Wasn't that their plan
Really? Biden is ordering people to gang rape and kill kids, or for parents to send their kids north? And only Biden?
I do? I don't recall ever saying I liked him.
I do? I don't recall stating that I agree with his policies.
I do? You have proof of that?
Not that I read spanish but I'm assuming every image is of a girl that's gone missing or something?
I also recall posting that even joking about rape is fucking disgusting, yet others here think it's okay...
Where's your outrage about that?
Rape is not okay period..
Biden's open borders policy is driving people to make a journey across México..
It's not entirely Biden's fault either, the President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández has strong Cartel ties and linked to several murders, he makes money off these migrants too.
Kamala will be Honduras soon. It's a 2 for 1 offer.
Last edited:
Definitely. Life in jail would be a far superior punishment in this case.
U.S. grand jury adds WMD charge against men accused of plan to kidnap Michigan governor
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Apr 28, 2021 • 27 minutes ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media about the flooding along the Tittabawassee River, after several dams breached, in downtown Midland, Michigan, U.S., May 20, 2020.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media about the flooding along the Tittabawassee River, after several dams breached, in downtown Midland, Michigan, U.S., May 20, 2020. PHOTO BY REBECCA COOK /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury added new charges on Wednesday against three men charged with conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, saying they planned to use weapons of mass destruction to destroy a bridge, the Justice Department said.
Adam Fox, 40, of Wyoming, Michigan; Barry Croft Jr., 45, of Bear, Delaware; and Daniel Joseph Harris, 23, of Lake Orion, Michigan, were charged with knowingly conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property, the department said, in addition to a kidnapping conspiracy charge in October.
The superseding indictment on Wednesday alleges that they three planned to destroy a nearby bridge, which would have harmed and hindered Whitmer’s security detail and any responding law enforcement officers, a Justice Department statement said.
The new indictment also alleged that Croft and Harris possessed a “destructive device” that was not registered as required by U.S. federal law. It said Harris also possessed an unregistered semiautomatic assault rifle.
Fourteen men were accused of taking part in a plot by right-wing militia extremists to abduct Whitmer. One of them broke ranks with his co-defendants in January and pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors have said all 14 suspects targeted Whitmer in retribution for public health orders she imposed placing restrictions on a wide range of social and business activity to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Apr 28, 2021 • 27 minutes ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media about the flooding along the Tittabawassee River, after several dams breached, in downtown Midland, Michigan, U.S., May 20, 2020.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media about the flooding along the Tittabawassee River, after several dams breached, in downtown Midland, Michigan, U.S., May 20, 2020. PHOTO BY REBECCA COOK /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury added new charges on Wednesday against three men charged with conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, saying they planned to use weapons of mass destruction to destroy a bridge, the Justice Department said.
Adam Fox, 40, of Wyoming, Michigan; Barry Croft Jr., 45, of Bear, Delaware; and Daniel Joseph Harris, 23, of Lake Orion, Michigan, were charged with knowingly conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property, the department said, in addition to a kidnapping conspiracy charge in October.
The superseding indictment on Wednesday alleges that they three planned to destroy a nearby bridge, which would have harmed and hindered Whitmer’s security detail and any responding law enforcement officers, a Justice Department statement said.
The new indictment also alleged that Croft and Harris possessed a “destructive device” that was not registered as required by U.S. federal law. It said Harris also possessed an unregistered semiautomatic assault rifle.
Fourteen men were accused of taking part in a plot by right-wing militia extremists to abduct Whitmer. One of them broke ranks with his co-defendants in January and pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors have said all 14 suspects targeted Whitmer in retribution for public health orders she imposed placing restrictions on a wide range of social and business activity to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
U.S. grand jury adds WMD charge against men accused of plan to kidnap Michigan governor
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury added new charges on Wednesday against three men charged with conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, saying…
It Was a Set-Up: FBI Used at Least 12 Informants in Whitmer Kidnapping Case With Only 6 Defendants
By Cristina LailaPublished July 13, 2021 at 1:30pm
562 Comments
WATCHING THE WATCHMEN
The Michigan kidnapping case is a major test for the Biden administration’s commitment to fighting domestic terrorism — and a crucible for the fierce ideological divisions pulling the country apart.In the article
The government has documented at least 12 confidential informants who assisted the sprawling investigation. The trove of evidence they helped gather provides an unprecedented view into American extremism, laying out in often stunning detail the ways that anti-government groups network with each other and, in some cases, discuss violent actions.
An examination of the case by BuzzFeed News also reveals that some of those informants, acting under the direction of the FBI, played a far larger role than has previously been reported. Working in secret, they did more than just passively observe and report on the actions of the suspects. Instead, they had a hand in nearly every aspect of the alleged plot, starting with its inception. The extent of their involvement raises questions as to whether there would have even been a conspiracy without them.
A longtime government informant from Wisconsin, for example, helped organize a series of meetings around the country where many of the alleged plotters first met one another and the earliest notions of a plan took root, some of those people say. The Wisconsin informant even paid for some hotel rooms and food as an incentive to get people to come.
The Iraq War vet, for his part, became so deeply enmeshed in a Michigan militant group that he rose to become its second-in-command, encouraging members to collaborate with other potential suspects and paying for their transportation to meetings. He prodded the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping plot to advance his plan, then baited the trap that led to the arrest.
This account is based on an analysis of court filings, transcripts, exhibits, audio recordings, and other documents, as well as interviews with more than two dozen people with direct knowledge of the case, including several who were present at meetings and training sessions where prosecutors say the plot was hatched. All but one of the 14 original defendants have pleaded not guilty, and they vigorously deny that they were involved in a conspiracy to kidnap anyone.
Whitmer kidnapping case rocked by allegations FBI told informant to lie, delete text messages
Attorneys for alleged members of kidnapping team are claiming FBI deceit and entrapment of innocent people
Second person to plead guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Kanishka Singh
Publishing date:Feb 07, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot.
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot. PHOTO BY KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE /via REUTERS
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A second person charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 has agreed to plead guilty and testify at a trial in March, according to a federal court filing on Monday.
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Kaleb Franks, 27, will plead guilty to kidnapping conspiracy, in a plea deal approved by prosecutors and his lawyers. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison.
Franks is scheduled to stand trial in March in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan alongside four others charged in the case and will admit to conspiring from June 2020 to October 2020 to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat.
In August last year, another man who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the plot received a sentence of just over six years in prison, after he also agreed to testify against fellow extremists in the “Wolverine Watchmen” militia who were accused in the conspiracy.
Ty Garbin was the first to be convicted of scheming to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home. Since the FBI said it uncovered the conspiracy by members of the militia group, more than a dozen men have been charged in state or federal court.
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Prosecutors said the suspected participants in the plot sought Whitmer’s capture in retribution for wide-ranging public health orders imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Violent threats have become an increasing factor in American politics, ranging from the hundreds of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn then-president Donald Trump’s November 2020 election defeat, to phone threats made to election workers.
Whitmer, who served as a co-chair of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, has previously accused Republican Trump of hyping up far-right groups as he denounced COVID mitigation efforts that were carried out in states run by Democrats.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Kanishka Singh
Publishing date:Feb 07, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot.
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot. PHOTO BY KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE /via REUTERS
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A second person charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 has agreed to plead guilty and testify at a trial in March, according to a federal court filing on Monday.
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Kaleb Franks, 27, will plead guilty to kidnapping conspiracy, in a plea deal approved by prosecutors and his lawyers. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison.
Franks is scheduled to stand trial in March in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan alongside four others charged in the case and will admit to conspiring from June 2020 to October 2020 to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat.
In August last year, another man who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the plot received a sentence of just over six years in prison, after he also agreed to testify against fellow extremists in the “Wolverine Watchmen” militia who were accused in the conspiracy.
Ty Garbin was the first to be convicted of scheming to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home. Since the FBI said it uncovered the conspiracy by members of the militia group, more than a dozen men have been charged in state or federal court.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Prosecutors said the suspected participants in the plot sought Whitmer’s capture in retribution for wide-ranging public health orders imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Violent threats have become an increasing factor in American politics, ranging from the hundreds of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn then-president Donald Trump’s November 2020 election defeat, to phone threats made to election workers.
Whitmer, who served as a co-chair of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, has previously accused Republican Trump of hyping up far-right groups as he denounced COVID mitigation efforts that were carried out in states run by Democrats.
Second person to plead guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan governor
A second person charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 has agreed to plead guilty and testify at a trial in March, according to…
MAGA!Second person to plead guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Kanishka Singh
Publishing date:Feb 07, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot.
Kaleb Franks, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot. PHOTO BY KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE /via REUTERS
Article content
A second person charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 has agreed to plead guilty and testify at a trial in March, according to a federal court filing on Monday.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Kaleb Franks, 27, will plead guilty to kidnapping conspiracy, in a plea deal approved by prosecutors and his lawyers. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison.
Franks is scheduled to stand trial in March in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan alongside four others charged in the case and will admit to conspiring from June 2020 to October 2020 to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat.
In August last year, another man who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the plot received a sentence of just over six years in prison, after he also agreed to testify against fellow extremists in the “Wolverine Watchmen” militia who were accused in the conspiracy.
Ty Garbin was the first to be convicted of scheming to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home. Since the FBI said it uncovered the conspiracy by members of the militia group, more than a dozen men have been charged in state or federal court.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Prosecutors said the suspected participants in the plot sought Whitmer’s capture in retribution for wide-ranging public health orders imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Violent threats have become an increasing factor in American politics, ranging from the hundreds of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn then-president Donald Trump’s November 2020 election defeat, to phone threats made to election workers.
Whitmer, who served as a co-chair of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, has previously accused Republican Trump of hyping up far-right groups as he denounced COVID mitigation efforts that were carried out in states run by Democrats.
Second person to plead guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan governor
A second person charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 has agreed to plead guilty and testify at a trial in March, according to…
Jury acquits two men in Michigan governor kidnapping case, deadlocks on two others
The men were charged in a plot prosecutors say had been inspired by their fierce opposition to pandemic-related restrictions that her office imposed
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Tyler Clifford
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visits the Ford Bronco off-road track during the Motor Bella 2021 auto show in Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visits the Ford Bronco off-road track during the Motor Bella 2021 auto show in Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021. PHOTO BY REBECCA COOK /REUTERS / FILES
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A federal jury on Friday acquitted two men of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and the judge overseeing the case declared a mistrial for two other men after jurors could not come to a verdict for them.
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The men were charged in a plot prosecutors say had been inspired by their fierce opposition to pandemic-related restrictions that Whitmer’s office imposed, and faced charges including conspiracy to kidnap and use a weapon of mass destruction.
The prosecution, who said the men belonged to self-styled militia groups, accused them of planning to break into Whitmer’s vacation home, spirit her away and put her on “trial” for treason.
The kidnapping, the defendants had hoped, would force an end to Whitmer’s pandemic mandates, while pushing the country – highly polarized ahead of the 2020 elections – into a second American civil war, the prosecution said.
But the prosecution failed to convince jurors in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, federal courthouse. The 12-member panel found Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris not guilty of any charges. The jury was not able to agree on a verdict for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.
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The jury’s decision was setback for federal prosecutors in one of the highest-profile cases in years involving domestic terrorism charges and militias.
“Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome,” Andrew Birge, U.S. Attorney for the western district of Michigan, told reporters outside the courthouse.
Birge did not directly respond to questions on if he intended to retry Fox and Croft. But he hinted in a written statement that he would by saying: “Two defendants now await re-trial and, for that reason, we have no further statement at this time.”
Mike Hills, a defence attorney for Caserta, told Reuters in a phone call that the plot to kidnap the governor “was a fabrication of the FBI.”
“They (the FBI) created the appearance of a conspiracy that never existed,” Hills said.
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He added that Caserta was dragged into the case “by the predatory conduct of the FBI” as they sought to give credibility to the case by ensnaring more people in it. The FBI did not respond an emailed request for comment. Defence attorneys for the other defendants did not return requests for comment.
At trial the defence argued that the government used FBI informants and undercover agents to encourage online discussions about the alleged plot, hoping to entrap the defendants in alleged crimes because of their political views, they said.
The case stands as one of the most high-profile prosecutions of alleged members of right-wing organizations that have sprung up in the years since former President Donald Trump’s election in 2016. It also highlights the extent to which the pandemic and government efforts to control it have become a wedge issue in U.S. politics.
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The acquittals come despite key testimony from Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, two others who were charged in the alleged plot before striking plea deals with prosecutors. Garbin is currently serving a six-year sentence, while Franks is awaiting sentencing.
The four on trial are among 13 men who were arrested in October 2020 and charged with state or federal crimes in the alleged kidnapping conspiracy. Seven of them are facing charges in state court.
The FBI said it had begun tracking the group’s movements after seeing online discussions that included posts about the violent overthrow of some state governments.
torontosun.com
The men were charged in a plot prosecutors say had been inspired by their fierce opposition to pandemic-related restrictions that her office imposed
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Tyler Clifford
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visits the Ford Bronco off-road track during the Motor Bella 2021 auto show in Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visits the Ford Bronco off-road track during the Motor Bella 2021 auto show in Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021. PHOTO BY REBECCA COOK /REUTERS / FILES
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A federal jury on Friday acquitted two men of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and the judge overseeing the case declared a mistrial for two other men after jurors could not come to a verdict for them.
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The men were charged in a plot prosecutors say had been inspired by their fierce opposition to pandemic-related restrictions that Whitmer’s office imposed, and faced charges including conspiracy to kidnap and use a weapon of mass destruction.
The prosecution, who said the men belonged to self-styled militia groups, accused them of planning to break into Whitmer’s vacation home, spirit her away and put her on “trial” for treason.
The kidnapping, the defendants had hoped, would force an end to Whitmer’s pandemic mandates, while pushing the country – highly polarized ahead of the 2020 elections – into a second American civil war, the prosecution said.
But the prosecution failed to convince jurors in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, federal courthouse. The 12-member panel found Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris not guilty of any charges. The jury was not able to agree on a verdict for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.
Advertisement 3
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The jury’s decision was setback for federal prosecutors in one of the highest-profile cases in years involving domestic terrorism charges and militias.
“Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome,” Andrew Birge, U.S. Attorney for the western district of Michigan, told reporters outside the courthouse.
Birge did not directly respond to questions on if he intended to retry Fox and Croft. But he hinted in a written statement that he would by saying: “Two defendants now await re-trial and, for that reason, we have no further statement at this time.”
Mike Hills, a defence attorney for Caserta, told Reuters in a phone call that the plot to kidnap the governor “was a fabrication of the FBI.”
“They (the FBI) created the appearance of a conspiracy that never existed,” Hills said.
Advertisement 4
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
He added that Caserta was dragged into the case “by the predatory conduct of the FBI” as they sought to give credibility to the case by ensnaring more people in it. The FBI did not respond an emailed request for comment. Defence attorneys for the other defendants did not return requests for comment.
At trial the defence argued that the government used FBI informants and undercover agents to encourage online discussions about the alleged plot, hoping to entrap the defendants in alleged crimes because of their political views, they said.
The case stands as one of the most high-profile prosecutions of alleged members of right-wing organizations that have sprung up in the years since former President Donald Trump’s election in 2016. It also highlights the extent to which the pandemic and government efforts to control it have become a wedge issue in U.S. politics.
Advertisement 5
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The acquittals come despite key testimony from Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, two others who were charged in the alleged plot before striking plea deals with prosecutors. Garbin is currently serving a six-year sentence, while Franks is awaiting sentencing.
The four on trial are among 13 men who were arrested in October 2020 and charged with state or federal crimes in the alleged kidnapping conspiracy. Seven of them are facing charges in state court.
The FBI said it had begun tracking the group’s movements after seeing online discussions that included posts about the violent overthrow of some state governments.
Jury acquits two men in Michigan governor kidnapping case, deadlocks on two others
The men were charged in a plot prosecutors say had been inspired by their fierce opposition to pandemic-related restrictions that her office imposed
3 men convicted of supporting plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ed White
Publishing date:Oct 26, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Musico and two other men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022.
Musico and two other men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022.
Three men accused of supporting terrorism in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday in a trial that focused on paramilitary drills and fierce contempt for government ahead of the 2020 election.
Joe Morrison, his father-in-law Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar were found guilty of supplying “material support” for a terrorist act as members of a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen.
They held gun training in rural Jackson County with a leader of the kidnapping scheme, Adam Fox, who was disgusted with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other officials and said he wanted to snatch her.
The trial in state court was an offshoot of the main case in federal court, which produced mixed results: conspiracy convictions for Fox and three others but also two acquittals.
Jurors in Jackson, Michigan, read and heard violent, anti-government screeds as well as support for the “boogaloo,” a civil war that might be triggered by a shocking abduction. Prosecutors said COVID-19 restrictions ordered by Whitmer turned out to be fruit to recruit more people to the Watchmen.
“The facts drip out slowly,” state Assistant Attorney General Bill Rollstin told the jury, “and you begin to see — wow — there were things that happened that people knew about. … When you see how close Adam Fox got to the governor, you can see how a very bad event was thwarted.”
Morrison, 28, Musico, 44, and Bellar, 24, were also convicted of a gun crime and membership in a gang. Prosecutors said the Wolverine Watchmen was a criminal enterprise.
Morrison, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, and Musico were emotional as they watched the verdicts by video away from the courtroom. Judge Thomas Wilson ordered all three to jail while they await sentencing on Dec. 15.
The verdicts “are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics,” said Whitmer, who has not participated as a trial witness or spectator in the state or federal cases. “Those who seek to sow discord by pursuing violent plots will be held accountable under the law.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat in a tight race for reelection, hailed the outcome and praised law enforcement. After hearing nine days of testimony, the jury deliberated Tuesday afternoon and for less than two hours Wednesday.
“Jackson County is not known to have, I guess I would say, liberal juries. They tend to be a conservative bunch,” Nessel said. “But I think what they saw here was that this is not a political matter. … These are individuals that didn’t align themselves with any party at all. In fact, they were just anti-government all together.”
Defence attorneys argued that Morrison, Musico and Bellar had broken ties with Fox by late summer 2020 when the Whitmer plot came into focus. Unlike Fox and others, they didn’t travel to northern Michigan to scout the governor’s vacation home or participate in a key weekend training session inside a makeshift “shoot house” in Luther, Michigan.
“In this country you are allowed to talk the talk, but you only get convicted if you walk the walk,” Musico’s attorney, Kareem Johnson, said in his closing remarks.
Defence lawyers couldn’t argue entrapment. But they attacked the tactics of Dan Chappel, an Army veteran and undercover informant. He took instructions from FBI agents, secretly recorded conversations and produced a deep cache of messages exchanged with the men.
Whitmer, who is seeking reelection on Nov. 8, was never physically harmed. Undercover agents and informants were inside Fox’s group for months. The scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.
Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy in federal court in August. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted last spring. Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty.
Five of the 14 men are facing charges in state court in Antrim County, the site of Whitmer’s second home. A judge there still must determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send them to trial.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ed White
Publishing date:Oct 26, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Musico and two other men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022.
Musico and two other men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022.
Three men accused of supporting terrorism in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday in a trial that focused on paramilitary drills and fierce contempt for government ahead of the 2020 election.
Joe Morrison, his father-in-law Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar were found guilty of supplying “material support” for a terrorist act as members of a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen.
They held gun training in rural Jackson County with a leader of the kidnapping scheme, Adam Fox, who was disgusted with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other officials and said he wanted to snatch her.
The trial in state court was an offshoot of the main case in federal court, which produced mixed results: conspiracy convictions for Fox and three others but also two acquittals.
Jurors in Jackson, Michigan, read and heard violent, anti-government screeds as well as support for the “boogaloo,” a civil war that might be triggered by a shocking abduction. Prosecutors said COVID-19 restrictions ordered by Whitmer turned out to be fruit to recruit more people to the Watchmen.
“The facts drip out slowly,” state Assistant Attorney General Bill Rollstin told the jury, “and you begin to see — wow — there were things that happened that people knew about. … When you see how close Adam Fox got to the governor, you can see how a very bad event was thwarted.”
Morrison, 28, Musico, 44, and Bellar, 24, were also convicted of a gun crime and membership in a gang. Prosecutors said the Wolverine Watchmen was a criminal enterprise.
Morrison, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, and Musico were emotional as they watched the verdicts by video away from the courtroom. Judge Thomas Wilson ordered all three to jail while they await sentencing on Dec. 15.
The verdicts “are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics,” said Whitmer, who has not participated as a trial witness or spectator in the state or federal cases. “Those who seek to sow discord by pursuing violent plots will be held accountable under the law.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat in a tight race for reelection, hailed the outcome and praised law enforcement. After hearing nine days of testimony, the jury deliberated Tuesday afternoon and for less than two hours Wednesday.
“Jackson County is not known to have, I guess I would say, liberal juries. They tend to be a conservative bunch,” Nessel said. “But I think what they saw here was that this is not a political matter. … These are individuals that didn’t align themselves with any party at all. In fact, they were just anti-government all together.”
Defence attorneys argued that Morrison, Musico and Bellar had broken ties with Fox by late summer 2020 when the Whitmer plot came into focus. Unlike Fox and others, they didn’t travel to northern Michigan to scout the governor’s vacation home or participate in a key weekend training session inside a makeshift “shoot house” in Luther, Michigan.
“In this country you are allowed to talk the talk, but you only get convicted if you walk the walk,” Musico’s attorney, Kareem Johnson, said in his closing remarks.
Defence lawyers couldn’t argue entrapment. But they attacked the tactics of Dan Chappel, an Army veteran and undercover informant. He took instructions from FBI agents, secretly recorded conversations and produced a deep cache of messages exchanged with the men.
Whitmer, who is seeking reelection on Nov. 8, was never physically harmed. Undercover agents and informants were inside Fox’s group for months. The scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.
Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy in federal court in August. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted last spring. Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty.
Five of the 14 men are facing charges in state court in Antrim County, the site of Whitmer’s second home. A judge there still must determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send them to trial.
3 men convicted of supporting plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Three men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday.
Lengthy prison terms for trio who aided Michigan governor kidnap plotter
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke in a recorded video before Jackson County Judge Thomas Wilson set the sentences, saying the actions of the three was a "threat to democracy itself."
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Joey Cappelletti And Ed White
Published Dec 15, 2022 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
JACKSON, Mich. — A judge on Thursday handed down the longest prison terms so far in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, sentencing three men who forged an early alliance with a leader of the scheme before the FBI broke it up in 2020.
Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar were not charged with having a direct role in the conspiracy. But they were members of a paramilitary group that trained with Adam Fox, who separately faces a possible life sentence on Dec. 27 for his federal conviction.
The trio was convicted in October of providing material support for a terrorist act, which carries a maximum term of 20 years, and two other crimes.
Musico was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison, followed by his son-in-law Morrison at 10 years and Bellar at seven. They will be eligible for release after serving those terms, but any decision rests solely with the Michigan parole board.
Speaking in a recorded video, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged Judge Thomas Wilson to “impose a sentence that meets the gravity of the damage they have done to our democracy.”
“A conspiracy to kidnap and kill a sitting governor of the state of Michigan is a threat to democracy itself,” said Whitmer, who added that she now scans crowds for risks and worries “about the fate of everyone near me.”
Wilson presided over the first batch of convictions in state court, following the high-profile conspiracy convictions of four others in federal court. Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were described as captains of an incredible plan to snatch Whitmer from her vacation home, seeking to inspire a U.S. civil war known as the “boogaloo.”
Whitmer, a Democrat recently elected to a second term, was never physically harmed. Undercover FBI agents and informants were inside Fox’s group for months, and the scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.
Someone convicted of more than one crime in Michigan typically gets prison sentences that simply run at the same time. But Wilson took the unusual step of ordering consecutive sentences for Musico and Morrison, making their minimum stays longer. Besides a conviction for supporting terrorism, the three men were also convicted of a gun crime and for being members of a gang.
Musico, Morrison and Bellar belonged to the Wolverine Watchmen. The three held gun training with Fox and shared his disgust for Whitmer, police and public officials, especially after COVID-19 restrictions disrupted the economy and triggered armed Capitol protests and anti-government belligerence.
They were running a “terrorism training camp in Jackson County,” Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani told the judge.
The men expressed remorse, moments after Whitmer in her video said they had failed to take responsibility.
Musico, 45, cried while acknowledging a “lack of judgment.” Morrison, 28, said he was “renouncing, disavowing and detesting” anti-government ideologies. Bellar, 24, was the last to speak, publicly apologizing for abhorrent remarks about the governor.
“I was caught up highly in the moment,” Bellar said. “I felt I had lost a lot of camaraderie after being discharged from the Army. That was the reason I joined the Wolverine Watchmen in the first place.”
Defense lawyers still plan vigorous appeals. They argued at trial that the men had cut ties with Fox before the Whitmer plot came into focus by late summer of 2020; Bellar had moved to South Carolina in July.
They also didn’t travel with Fox to look for the governor’s second home or participate in a key training session inside a “shoot house” in Luther, Michigan.
“If Mr. Bellar wanted to be part of the kidnapping of the governor, he would have stayed here. … He could have held on like a rock, like a tick in that apartment,” defense attorney Andrew Kirkpatrick said.
A jury, however, quickly returned guilty verdicts in October after hearing nine days of testimony, mostly evidence offered by federal agents and a pivotal FBI informant, Dan Chappel, who secretly recorded conversations.
“The Wolverine Watchmen misappropriated the word ‘patriot’ all the time for a really unpatriotic objective, you know, killing fellow Americans. … Dan is what really a patriot is,” Doddamani said Thursday.
Separately, in federal court in Grand Rapids, Fox and Croft face possible life sentences this month. Two men who pleaded guilty received substantial breaks: Ty Garbin is free after a 2 1/2-year prison term while Kaleb Franks was given a four-year sentence. Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris were acquitted by a jury.
When the plot was foiled, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” In August, after 19 months out of office, Trump said the kidnapping plan was a “fake deal.”
torontosun.com
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke in a recorded video before Jackson County Judge Thomas Wilson set the sentences, saying the actions of the three was a "threat to democracy itself."
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Joey Cappelletti And Ed White
Published Dec 15, 2022 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
JACKSON, Mich. — A judge on Thursday handed down the longest prison terms so far in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, sentencing three men who forged an early alliance with a leader of the scheme before the FBI broke it up in 2020.
Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar were not charged with having a direct role in the conspiracy. But they were members of a paramilitary group that trained with Adam Fox, who separately faces a possible life sentence on Dec. 27 for his federal conviction.
The trio was convicted in October of providing material support for a terrorist act, which carries a maximum term of 20 years, and two other crimes.
Musico was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison, followed by his son-in-law Morrison at 10 years and Bellar at seven. They will be eligible for release after serving those terms, but any decision rests solely with the Michigan parole board.
Speaking in a recorded video, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged Judge Thomas Wilson to “impose a sentence that meets the gravity of the damage they have done to our democracy.”
“A conspiracy to kidnap and kill a sitting governor of the state of Michigan is a threat to democracy itself,” said Whitmer, who added that she now scans crowds for risks and worries “about the fate of everyone near me.”
Wilson presided over the first batch of convictions in state court, following the high-profile conspiracy convictions of four others in federal court. Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were described as captains of an incredible plan to snatch Whitmer from her vacation home, seeking to inspire a U.S. civil war known as the “boogaloo.”
Whitmer, a Democrat recently elected to a second term, was never physically harmed. Undercover FBI agents and informants were inside Fox’s group for months, and the scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.
Someone convicted of more than one crime in Michigan typically gets prison sentences that simply run at the same time. But Wilson took the unusual step of ordering consecutive sentences for Musico and Morrison, making their minimum stays longer. Besides a conviction for supporting terrorism, the three men were also convicted of a gun crime and for being members of a gang.
Musico, Morrison and Bellar belonged to the Wolverine Watchmen. The three held gun training with Fox and shared his disgust for Whitmer, police and public officials, especially after COVID-19 restrictions disrupted the economy and triggered armed Capitol protests and anti-government belligerence.
They were running a “terrorism training camp in Jackson County,” Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani told the judge.
The men expressed remorse, moments after Whitmer in her video said they had failed to take responsibility.
Musico, 45, cried while acknowledging a “lack of judgment.” Morrison, 28, said he was “renouncing, disavowing and detesting” anti-government ideologies. Bellar, 24, was the last to speak, publicly apologizing for abhorrent remarks about the governor.
“I was caught up highly in the moment,” Bellar said. “I felt I had lost a lot of camaraderie after being discharged from the Army. That was the reason I joined the Wolverine Watchmen in the first place.”
Defense lawyers still plan vigorous appeals. They argued at trial that the men had cut ties with Fox before the Whitmer plot came into focus by late summer of 2020; Bellar had moved to South Carolina in July.
They also didn’t travel with Fox to look for the governor’s second home or participate in a key training session inside a “shoot house” in Luther, Michigan.
“If Mr. Bellar wanted to be part of the kidnapping of the governor, he would have stayed here. … He could have held on like a rock, like a tick in that apartment,” defense attorney Andrew Kirkpatrick said.
A jury, however, quickly returned guilty verdicts in October after hearing nine days of testimony, mostly evidence offered by federal agents and a pivotal FBI informant, Dan Chappel, who secretly recorded conversations.
“The Wolverine Watchmen misappropriated the word ‘patriot’ all the time for a really unpatriotic objective, you know, killing fellow Americans. … Dan is what really a patriot is,” Doddamani said Thursday.
Separately, in federal court in Grand Rapids, Fox and Croft face possible life sentences this month. Two men who pleaded guilty received substantial breaks: Ty Garbin is free after a 2 1/2-year prison term while Kaleb Franks was given a four-year sentence. Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris were acquitted by a jury.
When the plot was foiled, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” In August, after 19 months out of office, Trump said the kidnapping plan was a “fake deal.”
Lengthy prison terms for trio who aided Michigan governor kidnap plotter
Lengthy prison terms for trio who aided Michigan governor kidnap plotter
Kinda like the terrorists that stole the southern half of North America from England did.