In outcome of Whitmer case, some see freedom, others danger
That a jury didn't convict any of the four men charged with planning to kidnap Michigan Gov_ Gretchen Whitmer is further evidence of the political polarization in the U_S_ A defense lawyer for one of the men says it shows freedom still exists, and that the men's actions were nothing more than โrough talk.โ.
Shocker: Far-Right Men Accused in Michigan Guv Kidnap Plot Duck Conviction
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Photo by JIM WATSON/GettyIn a shocking twist, a gaggle of white men accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election dodged convictions on Friday.After five days of deliberations, a Michigan jury acquitted Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta of several charges, including conspiracy, for what prosecutors said was a depraved scheme born out of anti-government anger at the Democratic leaderโs COVID-
news.yahoo.comFBI: Accused wanted 'tyrant' Gov. Whitmer tied up on table
A key figure in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov_ Gretchen Whitmer was secretly recorded telling an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to restrain the โtyrantโ on a table, then pose for a photo โlike we just made the biggest drug bust.โ.
Snapshots of 4 men charged in Whitmer kidnapping plot
After more than two days of testimony, jurors have unflattering snapshots of four men who are charged with planning to strike back against government by kidnapping Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from her weekend home. Prosecutors introduced videos, messages and secretly recorded conversations full of antigovernment screeds, mostly expressed by Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox, who are described as the leaders. Evidence presented early in what's likely to be a weekslong trial has bounced from Michigan to gatherings in Ohio and Wisconsin and an arrest in New Jersey โ and not always in order.
news.yahoo.comJury hears man discuss plan to abduct Mich. Gov. Whitmer
Prosecutors in the trial of four men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday played covertly recorded audio for jurors in which one of the men specifically discusses a plan to abduct the Democrat. In the recording, made by a government informant during a meeting in mid-July 2020 in Wisconsin, Barry Croft Jr. describes the possibility of using explosives to โrain downโ fire on law enforcement โwith a team standing byโ to abduct Whitmer. In another recording made by the same informant, jurors heard the sound of an explosives test Croft was conducting.
news.yahoo.comLawyers: FBI lured men for Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
The four men charged with planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were swayed by informants and federal agents who targeted them for their anti-government views, defense attorneys said Wednesday, portraying the men as big talkers and wannabes who never meant what they said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth argued that the men were โwilling, eager, if not already preparingโ to get Whitmer before investigators infiltrated the group. Investigators stepped in and stopped a โtragedyโ when the men were planning to acquire a bomb to blow up a bridge near Whitmerโs home to stop police from quickly responding, Roth told jurors during his opening statement in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
news.yahoo.comIn Whitmer kidnapping plot, extremists also wanted to blow up a bridge, tried to buy explosives, feds say
A grand jury on Wednesday added additional charges against three of the men who allegedly plotted to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in a "domestic terrorism" scheme.
washingtonpost.com2 charged in Michigan plots served in US Marines
Gretchen Whitmer, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020 in announcing charges in an alleged scheme that involved months of planning and even rehearsals to snatch her from her vacation home. (Jackson County Sheriffs Office via AP)DETROIT โ The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed Saturday that two men charged in plots against Michigan's government spent time in the military. Harris is one of six men charged federally with conspiring to kidnap Democratic Gov. Morrison was a lance corporal and served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 2015 until Thursday, the day he was arraigned on state charges. The Marine Corps said his departure from the reserves is โunrelated to (his) current situation.โMorrisonโs last assignment was with the 4th Marine Logistics Group in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Men accused in plot on Michigan governor attended protests
(Kent County Sheriff via AP)LANSING, Mich. โ Among the armed protesters who rallied at the Michigan Capitol against Gov. โSeveralโ of the 13 men arrested in the plots against the state government were seen at Capitol protests this year, the state attorney general's office said. โIโm not surprised โ and anyone who is just hasnโt been paying attention," Whitmer told The Associated Press by phone on Friday. Officials have not indicated whether law enforcement monitored the anti-lockdown protests in April and May. By July, the men had shifted to targeting Whitmer's official summer residence or her personal vacation home before settling on the latter, according to authorities.
Six Arrested on Federal Charge of Conspiracy to Kidnap the Governor of Michigan
The Department of Justice today announced that six men have been arrested and charged federally with conspiring to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Through confidential sources, undercover agents, and clandestine recordings, law enforcement learned particular individuals were planning to kidnap the Governor and acting in furtherance of that plan. This group used operational security measures, including communicating by encrypted messaging platforms and used code words and phrases in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement. The FBI and Michigan State Police executed arrests as multiple conspirators met to pool funds for explosives and exchange tactical gear. Agents of the Detroit Field Office of the FBI and other members of their Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the Michigan State Police, are conducting the investigation.
justice.gov