Men Convicted of Conspiring to Kidnap Gretchen Whitmer Face Decades in Prison as State Trial Set to Begin for Three More Suspects

     The past two years have been a rollercoaster of legal proceedings in the largest case of domestic terrorism in the United States until the Capitol insurrection on January 6th. Indicted in October 2020, a total of 14 men (not including FBI agents and informants) from Michigan (as well as Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Wisconsin) engaged in a coordinated effort to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and hold her for ransom in retaliation for her efforts to combat gun violence and curb the spread of COVID-19. Under the banner of the "Wolverine Watchmen" militia group, they trained with weapons and military tactics, purchased military gear like night vision goggles, scoped out Whitmer's vacation home, planned in graphic detail how they would capture and bind Whitmer before setting her adrift in Lake Michigan, and even went as far as planning to blow up a bridge nearby to distract law enforcement. Six were charged federally and eight more were charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for providing material and other support to their actions. Since then:

1. In August 2021, Ty Garbin was sentenced to 75 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
2. In February 2022, Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping; he is awaiting sentencing and faces life in prison on the charge, although he will likely face a sentence similar to the one Garbin received in exchange for his guilty plea and testimony.
3. In April 2022, a jury acquitted suspects Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta of the charges against them while deadlocking on the charges against Barry Croft, Jr. and Adam Fox.
4. In August 2022, Fox and Croft were convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, possession of unregistered weapons, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, all felonies that carry a combined maximum of two times life plus ten years in prison. Because maximum sentences are rare in federal court, the men face a likely sentencing range of 15 to 45 years in prison for their crimes, depending on the judge presiding over the case.

     This last trial was the saving grace for this case. The six men charged by the FBI were the worst of the worst, the ringleaders of the plot. Two pleaded guilty and four more went to trial. If all four of these men had been acquitted, it would have validated right-wing claims that this was a nonexistent plot that entrapped suspects. Instead, the conviction of two men at trial in addition to two guilty pleas proves that neither of those things are true, that this was a very real domestic terrorist plot by right-wing extremists to threaten the governor and democracy itself. This is a huge victory for America: without the benefit of guilty pleas, these men will go to prison for an appropriate amount of time.

     However, it is far from over. Franks, Fox, and Croft are still awaiting sentencing. Meanwhile, with federal trials over, state proceedings can begin. On September 12th, three men-- Joseph Morrison, the leader of the Wolverine Watchmen; Pete Musico, an anti-vaccine and white supremacist YouTuber; and Paul Bellar, a disgraced military vet who lost his job, was evicted, and moved to South Carolina during COVID and designed the military training for the men-- will face trial on charges of providing material support to terrorist acts, attempt to commit a felony as a gang member, and felony firearms. These counts, if the men are convicted, would carry a sentencing range of anywhere from two to 62 years in a state prison. Shawn Fix, William and Michael Null, and Eric Molitor are four more members being tried together; their cases are still relatively early on in the process. There is no update on the case of Brian Higgins, a Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, man who provided the group dashcams and night vision goggles for their efforts.

     Finally, we need to keep fighting to convict Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, the two men who were acquitted. They are guilty of the same alleged state crimes that Morrison, Musico, and Bellar are facing trial for, and they have yet to be charged in state court, which means an acquittal in federal court does not have to be the end of their cases.

     It's going to be a long road: 14 domestic terrorists were indicted on felony charges that could put them away for the rest of their lives. So far, four of these vile men have been convicted; we need to fight to make sure all of these men are convicted of felonies and sentenced to prison: it is imperative to the survival of American democracy.