Defendant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot admits shame, embarrassment before sentencing
Whitmer kidnap plot seeks leniency from federal judgeFranks was among 14 men arrested in early October 2020 on state and federal charges. Whitmer kidnap trialJudge in Whitmer kidnapping plot trial explains why juror wasnโt dismissed after attorney complaintGuilty verdict in Whitmer kidnap case highlights anti-government threats to public officialsMen found guilty of leading plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney saysProsecutor rests in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case posed threat; defense raises concern about jurorSuspect in secret recording played at trial suggested killing Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to โbuild an army,โ jury toldDefendants in alleged plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comSubject in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot seeks leniency from federal judge
Gretchen Whitmer kidnap case has asked a judge for leniency at his upcoming sentencing. Whitmer kidnap plot allege bias by judge, jury in bid for new trialThe charge, he said, did not โentirely reflect the seriousness of the conspiracyโs ultimate goal. Whitmer kidnap trialJudge in Whitmer kidnapping plot trial explains why juror wasnโt dismissed after attorney complaintGuilty verdict in Whitmer kidnap case highlights anti-government threats to public officialsMen found guilty of leading plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney saysProsecutor rests in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to โbuild an army,โ jury toldDefendants in alleged plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comFight isnโt over for men found guilty of leading plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, defense attorneys say
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ The fight isnโt over for two men found guilty Tuesday of conspiring to kidnap Gov. Related: Men found guilty of leading plot to kidnap Gov. Two more men, Kaleb Franks, 27, of Waterford, and Ty Garbin, 26, of Livingston County, pleaded guilty to conspiring to kidnap Whitmer and testified at both trials. Related: Whitmer thanks police, prosecutors in securing guilty verdict in kidnapping trialThe prosecution, however, said Fox and Croftโs own words showed they were all in on the plot to kidnap Whitmer. Assistant U.S Attorneys Nils Kessler and Christopher OโConnor said that Fox and Croft wanted to start a second U.S. civil war by kidnapping Whitmer and hanging her for treason.
mlive.comMen found guilty of leading plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
Kaleb Franks, 27, of Waterford, and Ty Garbin, 26, of Livingston County, pleaded guilty to conspiring to kidnap Whitmer and testified at both trials. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney saysProsecutor rests in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to โbuild an army,โ jury toldDefendants in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer were โbig talkers,โ had no plan, attorneys tell jurorsRetrial of 2 suspects in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer says details โjarringโ from trial of men charged with conspiring to kidnap herMan in alleged plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comLawyers object to limit on cross examination in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case
Whitmer kidnap case wanted to โhang her on TV,โ witness saysAlleged leader of Gov. Whitmer kidnap case posed threat; defense raises concern about jurorSuspect in secret recording played at trial suggested killing Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to โbuild an army,โ jury toldDefendants in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer were โbig talkers,โ had no plan, attorneys tell jurorsRetrial of 2 suspects in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer says details โjarringโ from trial of men charged with conspiring to kidnap herMan in alleged plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comProsecutor asks to delay manโs sentencing in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot until he testifies at retrial
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ A prosecutor asked a judge to delay sentencing of a man convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Franks testified that he expected to die in a shootout with police during the kidnapping. Related:Prosecutor in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap case crashes: โConspiracy that just never was,โ attorney saysDefense attorney says Gov. Whitmer was โnever in any real dangerโโNobody really conspiredโ to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comAfter deadlocked jury, men seek acquittal in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ Two men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialGov. Whitmer kidnap case crashes: โConspiracy that just never was,โ attorney says2 men acquitted in alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot to โnext level, not our guyโToo drunk, too stoned, still mad about COVID-19 orders: This week in the Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trial
mlive.comUndercover FBI agent next in trial of Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
By ED WHITE Associated PressFederal prosecutors plan to finish presenting evidence this week in the trial of four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. An undercover FBI agent known as โRedโ will appear when testimony resumes Monday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said Friday. Garbin testified last week that Whitmerโs kidnapping could ignite a U.S. civil war involving antigovernment groups and possibly prevent Joe Biden from winning the presidential election. Defense attorneys deny there was an actual plan to get Whitmer, claiming the men were improperly influenced by undercover agents and informants, and exchanged wild talk while often smoking marijuana. Whitmer has said Trump was complicit in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
mlive.comA โsnitch,โ a liar and taking the Fifth: This week in the Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trial
Whitmer kidnap plot expected to die in shootout with policeDefense objects to โsnitchโ invoking Fifth Amendment in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialFormer defendant: Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialMan who joined militia was alarmed by cop-killing talk, turned informant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialโI will die a saint, covered in blood,โ alleged leader of Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot said in FBI recordingโIโm gonna terrorize people,โ alleged leader of plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comGuns, flexible handcuffs in home of defendant in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, FBI says
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ The FBI seized firearms, ammunition, a gas mask and flexible plastic handcuffs at the home of a suspected leader of an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot expected to die in shootout with policeFormer defendant: Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialMan who joined militia was alarmed by cop-killing talk, turned informant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialโI will die a saint, covered in blood,โ alleged leader of Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot said in FBI recordingโIโm gonna terrorize people,โ alleged leader of plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comMan who schemed to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer alleges fellow plotters wanted to use a grenade launcher and machine gun to fight her security at her vacation home
Kaleb Franks, who pleaded guilty in February, spoke as a witness in the trial against four other men charged in the Whitmer kidnapping plot.
news.yahoo.comMan in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot says he lied after arrest
A second man who pleaded guilty in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer admitted Friday that he lied at times after being arrested in 2020 because he didn't want to go to jail. Kaleb Franks was questioned by defense attorneys a day after testifying for prosecutors in the trial of four former allies charged with conspiracy. Franks acknowledged telling investigators that the alleged leader, Adam Fox, was regularly egged on by a man who turned out to be an FBI informant.
news.yahoo.comMan in Whitmer kidnapping plot: I wanted cops to kill me
Whitmer kidnap plot: I wanted cops to kill meBy ED WHITE Associated PressA man who pleaded guilty in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer testified Thursday that he joined the conspiracy hoping he would be killed in a shootout with police. Garbin, 26, told jurors Wednesday that Whitmerโs kidnapping could have been the โignitionโ for a U.S. civil war involving antigovernment groups, possibly before the 2020 election. The trial has linked, at times indirectly, the kidnapping plot to a series of events, especially right-wing protests at the Michigan Capitol and elsewhere in response to pandemic orders. Every house had a living room.โIn September 2020, Garbin, Fox, Croft and others traveled to Elk Rapids for night surveillance of Whitmerโs property.
mlive.comMan in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot expected to die in shootout with police
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ A man who admitted conspiring to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialFormer defendant: Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialMan who joined militia was alarmed by cop-killing talk, turned informant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot trialโI will die a saint, covered in blood,โ alleged leader of Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot said in FBI recordingโIโm gonna terrorize people,โ alleged leader of plot to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comExperts: Alleged plot against governor signals ominous shift
They railed against politicians, conducted military-style exercises and spoke darkly of confronting tyrants scheming to seize their guns and enslave them. โI don't think they were dangerous," said Vinyard, an Eastern Michigan University professor emeritus and author of a book about far-right movements in the state. In contrast to militants from before, who mostly avoided bloodshed with the horrific exception of the Oklahoma City bombing, some modern successors have taken a more radical and potentially violent turn.
news.yahoo.comMotion seeks indictment dismissal for 5 charged in Whitmer kidnapping plot due to โgovernment overreachโ
Attorneys for the defendants in the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are requesting the indictment be dropped for five men charged in the case, arguing that the government orchestrated the plot and entrapped those accused.
Trial postponed for five men in alleged Governor Whitmer kidnapping plot
The trial was postponed to give defense lawyers more time to receive and analyze evidence. In October, the FBI announced it had broken up the plot to kidnap Whitmer that was put in motion by anti-government extremists upset over her COVID-19 restrictions. Six people were charged in federal court, while eight others were charged in state court. Ty Garbin, one of the six men charged in federal court, pleaded guilty in January and said he would cooperate with prosecutors. The six men facing federal charges were part of a broader attempt to spark a civil war by overthrowing the government and killing police personnel.
arabamericannews.comA look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov. Whitmer
Details of the secret group chat held by some of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap and kill Gov. Local 4 Defenders saw the groupโs conversation in which one member alerted them that police questioned a former roommate of his in Milford. All defendants on the group chat are from Metro Detroit. Fox reportedly wasnโt told that members believed the suspected domestic terrorist plot had gotten out. Many of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap and kill Gov.
Suspect in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer to stay locked up
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ A federal judge upheld the detention of a man accused in an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. During discussions about kidnapping Whitmer, Franks said โthat โIโm in for anything as long as itโs well-planned,โโ the judge said. Read more:Man accused in plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer should stay locked up, prosecutor saysMan accused in plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer free on bondJackson County man accused of plotting to kidnap Gov.
mlive.comGuns, maps, audio recordings -- New evidence in terrorist plot against Whitmer revealed
LANSING, Mich. โ Local 4 Defenders collected new, never-before-seen evidence against the 14 men accused of the terrorist plot to kidnap and possibly kill Gov. Video shows one Wolverine Watchmen member show off his weapons -- including suppressors or silencers, and a locker packed with firearms. Another member, Brandon Caserta of Canton, is seen showing off a 800,000-volt electroshock weapon that federal investigators said he wanted to use on Whitmer. The goal was allegedly to assemble 200 men to storm the Michigan Capitol Building and take hostages -- including Whitmer. The affidavit indicates that Croft not only wanted to go after Whitmer, but other governors across the country.
Man accused in plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer should stay locked up, prosecutor says
GRAND RAPIDS, MI โ The federal government opposes release of a defendant in an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Kaleb Franks, 26, of Waterford, Michigan was one of several men charged in a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The alleged kidnapping plan involved taking Whitmer from her Northern Michigan home, testimony and court documents show. Whitmer kidnapping plotter, a recovered addict, argues for release pending trialReleased photos and videos offer look at training, weaponry in alleged Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plotConcerns about informants in Gov.
mlive.comJudge finds cases against 5 in Whitmer plot can move forward
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens said the five men's cases can go to a grand jury, which will determine whether to issue indictments. Berens on Tuesday denied bond for the three other Michigan residents charged in the case: Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. Agent Richard Trask testified that members of anti-government paramilitary groups from several states discussed abducting Whitmer or Virginia Democratic Gov. Authorities found conversations among group members in which they were worried that federal authorities had infiltrated their planning sessions, he said. Berens found that the information presented showed the men had a unified purpose โ to kidnap Whitmer โ allowing the case to move forward.
Kidnapping plot included leaving Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in boat in Lake Michigan, FBI says
Gretchen Whitmer considered leaving Whitmer in a boat in the middle of Lake Michigan. RELATED: What we know about the militia members charged in kidnapping plot against Michigan governorSeven others are facing anti-terrorism charges in state courts. Titus was angry that Fox used his business to allegedly plan the governorโs kidnapping. On June 18, Fox, Garbin and a confidential source met in Lansing for a Second Amendment rally. Franks allegedly had a rifle with a silencer.
mlive.com3 men signed up, trained, plotted ways to kill Michigan Gov. Whitmer, according to FBI testimony
Gretchen Whitmer actually signed up, trained and plotted ways to shoot and kill her, according to FBI testimony. FBI agents said Garbin is a member of the Wolverine Watchmen domestic terror group who was recruited into the plot against Whitmer. His Hartland home was raided by FBI agents as part of the investigation, testimony revealed. Harris held a meeting at his home to confirm the identities of everyone involved in the larger kidnapping plot, FBI officials said. Harris was pushing forward to try to kill Whitmer, according to testimony.
FBI: Domestic terror group plotting against Gov. Whitmer also discussed kidnapping Virginia governor
The domestic terror group accused of plotting against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also discussed kidnapping the governor of Virginia, according to FBI testimony. Five Michigan men -- Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Daniel Harris, Kaleb Franks and Brandon Caserta -- appeared in court Tuesday after being charged with conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer. Three of the men charged in a domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Theyโre domestic terroristsโOfficials said Ty Garbin, Daniel Harris, Kaleb Franks -- who were all charged with conspiracy to kidnap the governor -- were โall inโ on actually killing Whitmer.
5 suspects in Whitmer kidnapping plot to be in federal court Tuesday in Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. โ Five men accused in the domestic terror plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are scheduled for a hearing Tuesday in Grand Rapids. Those to be in court are Adam Fox, of Grand Rapids; Ty Garbin, of Hartland; Kaleb Franks, of Waterford; Daniel Harris, of Lake Orion; and Brandon Caserta, of Canton. The six men are accused of plotting to kidnap Whitmer outside of her northern Michigan vacation home. Whitmer has continued to go out and campaign for fellow Democrats since the plot was uncovered.
Agent: Michigan, Virginia governors mentioned in kidnap plot
In a photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Michigan Gov. A judge ordered three of six men charged in the case held without bond until trial, delaying rulings on two defendants. But in keeping with security protocols for highly classified information, neither the governor nor members of his staff were informed. Trask, the FBI agent, testified that authorities learned of the June meeting in Ohio while investigating various anti-government groups. Michigan, and particularly the Detroit area, were hit hard early during the pandemic, leading Whitmer to tightly restrict personal movement and the economy.
Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plot: Hereโs what weโve learned as of Friday afternoon
Local 4 has learned more Friday about the alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Thatโs when the Wolverine Watchmen caught the FBIโs attention. In June, the men involved in the kidnapping conspiracy started meeting with members of the Wolverine Watchmen and recruiting others to their ranks. โThey belong to a group, a militia group, called the Wolverine Watchmen. A house on Dunn Road in Munith that was raided Oct. 8, 2020, in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov.
Gov. Whitmer kidnapping suspects linked to โboogalooโ anti-government movement, NBC News finds
LANSING, Mich. โ Some of the Michigan men charged after a conspiracy to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have links to the national โboogalooโ anti-government movement, NBC News found. NBC News looked into the six men directly charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer -- Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft. Croft was seen wearing the insignia of the Three Percenters, an armed anti-government movement, among other online warning signs, according to NBC News. Others in the group facing charges had anti-government memes and posts on social media before they were deleted, according to NBC News.
Foiled terror plot to kidnap Michigan governor: Hereโs what to know
If youโre looking to get caught up on Thursdayโs announcement about a foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, hereโs what to know. These are 10 of the 13 people who were charged after the FBI uncovered a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. BOTTOM (left to right): Pete Musico, Eric Molitor, William Null, Michael Null, Joseph Morrison.
Jackson County home was alleged โtraining groundโ in plot to kidnap Whitmer
MUNITH, Mich. โ Federal and state officials have charged 13 people after uncovering a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the Michigan government, FBI agents said. Through confidential informants and undercover agents, the FBI gained access to audio recordings, ground messages and secret meetings as the group plotted for months, according to court records. In addition to a Wednesday night raid in Hartland, FBI agents also raided the home of two of the suspects in Jackson County. Authorities said the Munith home served as a training facility for members of the group now facing terrorism charges.
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