PAUL BELLAR

JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- A date has been officially set for three Jackson-area men to stand trial for their alleged involvement in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. A jury trial for Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar is scheduled to begin on Monday, Sept. 12, according to court records. Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson previously predicted the trial could last at least two weeks. The pair are charged with one felony count each of gang membership, providing material support for terrorist acts and felony firearms. The three last appeared in court for an entrapment hearing, which Wilson ultimately denied on March 1.

JACKSON, MI -- After an entrapment motion was denied, trial proceedings will move forward for three Jackson-area men accused of taking part in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson believes the trial could last at least two weeks, likely longer. The pair are charged with one felony count each of gang membership, providing material support for terrorist acts and felony firearms. Across two days of testimony, attorneys questioned “Dan” -- a confidential paid informant who infiltrated the Wolverine Watchmen -- and his handler, FBI special agent Henrik Impola. Impola said Dan deescalated the group’s plans to move forward with the kidnapping plot on multiple occasions, which Wilson agreed with in his ruling.

RELATED: Entrapment hearing begins for Jackson men accused in Whitmer kidnapping plotWilson is set to deliver his ruling on a Zoom meeting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. “I was there to maintain accessibility for (the FBI),” Dan said. Dan’s handler, FBI special agent Henrik Impola, previously testified that Dan deescalated the group’s plans to move forward with the kidnapping plot on multiple occasions. Dan later became involved with Adam Fox, a defendant in the federal portion of the kidnapping plot case. Prior to becoming involved with the Wolverine Watchmen, Dan served in the United States Army as a fire support specialist.

A judge is scheduled to rule on whether three men charged in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the 2020 election were entrapped by the FBI.

RELATED: Attorneys to address entrapment claims at next hearing for men accused in Whitmer kidnapping plotMorrison, 27, and Musico, 43, cofounders of the Wolverine Watchmen militia group, are accused of providing materials and assistance to group members by conducting tactical training on Morrison’s Munith property. The three are among several men from Michigan with affiliations to the Wolverine Watchmen who were accused of plotting to kill police officers, attack the state Capitol in Lansing, abduct Whitmer and commit other violence. During a hearing on Wednesday, FBI special agent Henrik Impola testified regarding his involvement in recruiting a paid informant to infiltrate the Wolverine Watchmen. Impola said Dan deescalated the group’s plans to move forward with the kidnapping plot on multiple occasions. Dan had left the Wolverine Watchmen by August 2020, after Morrison and Musico accused him of being a federal agent, Impola said.

Attorneys for the three men charged in the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laid out how they plan to present their defense.

JACKSON COUNTY, MI – Trial preparations have begun for three Jackson-area men charged with providing support in a plot to kidnap Gov. The first pre-trial hearing in the case of Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar took place on March 25, with Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson presiding. The pair are charged with one felony count each of gang membership, providing material support for terrorist acts and felony firearms. Tuesday’s conference marked the first time the case appeared in circuit court, following a three-day preliminary examination before Jackson County District Judge Michael Klaeren, which ended March 29. Morrison remains lodged in the Jackson County Jail with bond set at $150,000.

JACKSON COUNTY, MI – Three Jackson-area men charged with providing support in a plot to kidnap Gov. The ties that bind the men behind the plot to kidnap Gov. Morrison remains lodged in the Jackson County Jail with bond set at $150,000. The case has been assigned to Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson. For more information about the alleged kidnap plot, click here.

A Michigan judge on Monday, March 29, 2021 ordered three men to stand trial in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Jackson County District Court Judge Michael Klaeren ruled there was enough evidence and bound over Paul Bellar, Joe Morrison and Pete Musico to circuit court to stand trial. (Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center via AP)A Michigan judge on Monday ordered three men to stand trial in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Jackson County District Court Judge Michael Klaeren ruled there was enough evidence and bound over Paul Bellar, Joe Morrison and Pete Musico to circuit court to stand trial. AdThe FBI in October said it broke up a plot to kidnap Whitmer by anti-government extremists upset over her coronavirus restrictions.

A lot of the evidence in the trial was provided by key FBI informants. READ: How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. WhitmerAdThe FBI has named one of their key informants as Steven Robeson from Wisconsin. Attorneys for the men will argue the men were just talking about the plot and the FBI’s own informants helped train the men, allegedly pushing the plot forward. AdREAD: 19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendant’s guilty plea

READ: Confidential informant testifies in hearing for 3 men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Dan said one of the men working with the group wanted to hogtie Whitmer up and put her on display. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? AdThere were also discussions of installing Wolverine Watchmen members as the new government. One of the men, a supposed leader of the Wolverine Watchmen, claimed he would be targeting Michigan’s Attorney General and Lt.

LANSING, Mich. – A confidential informant for the FBI is testifying in the case against three men charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. The informant testified that he was there for the planning of both the storming of Michigan’s Capitol and the plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer. READ: How an informant brought down plot against Michigan Gov. He said he was introduced to the Wolverine Watchmen through a suggested page recommendation on Facebook. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen?

While right-wing, anti-government movements are often accused of exhibiting racist tendencies, court testimony on three Wolverine Watchmen members charged with terrorism in the Whitmer case exhibited support for multiracial causes. On the first day of testimony, Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani presented various internet memes that the FBI called propaganda used by Wolverine Watchmen to recruit like-minded people online. An example of the Boogaloo Boys meme that was shared on the Wolverine Watchmen Facebook group page, according to the FBI. “Was it: ‘We need a quick-response team to shoot law enforcement,’ or was it: ‘We need this team to respond and shoot law enforcement if they shoot on our peaceful Black Lives Matter protests,’” Johnson asked the FBI agent. “In this particular instance, the QRF team was going to shoot at law enforcement if law enforcement shot at BLM protesters or anybody out there,” Impola said.

JACKSON, Mich. – Defense attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? Thursday was day two of the hearing for the three members of the Wolverine Watchmen. AdThe defense attorneys used a series of different arguments Thursday. READ: Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov.

JACKSON, MI – A second day of testimony in the case of three men accused of plotting to kidnap and kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer prompted a question – What is the difference between an idea and a plan? Militia’s memes take center stage in Whitmer kidnap plot court caseThe ties that bind the men behind the plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot faces first Michigan court appearanceFox, who was referred to frequently throughout the hearing, was indicted on a federal kidnapping-conspiracy charges in connection with the plot. For more information about the alleged kidnap plot, click here.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov. WhitmerDefense attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer -- claim things only became serious when the FBI informant became involved.

JACKSON, Mich. – Defense attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? Thursday was day two of the hearing for the three members of the Wolverine Watchmen. The defense also portrayed the violent rhetoric about Whitmer as satirical and that their activities only escalated after an FBI informant got involved. It’s a similar defense to what was used by attorneys representing members of the Hutaree group in 2012.

“He just wanted to notify us about the Wolverine Watchmen and tell us that the group was a danger to law enforcement,” the agent said. This information was revealed at the preliminary hearing for three of the 14 men accused in the kidnapping plot against Gov. READ: How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? READ: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov.

JACKSON, Mich. – New evidence in the domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: 3 men charged in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? RELATED: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov. The man wanted out, but the FBI asked him to stay with the Wolverine Watchmen, wear a wire, record everything and risk his life.

Several of the memes compared Whitmer to Adolf Hitler with one image showing a Nazi SS hat crudely Photoshopped onto her head. For the governor’s safety, the court shut off the video of the live broadcasting of the hearing when this image was being displayed. The memes and general disapproval of Whitmer were not solely lockdown related, as the FBI found several memes and threatening comments posted long before Whitmer began issuing her executive orders. Wire information was collected by taking screenshots of the informant’s phone and FBI agents monitoring the chatter in real time, Impola said. For more information about the alleged kidnap plot, click here.

“Boogaloo is a term for civil war,” Impola testified, “which is the complete collapse of society in which anarchy rules. Bellar, according to the FBI, is the founder of the Wolverine Watchmen, a militia organization that started as a Facebook group. Impola said the group shared Boogaloo propaganda, often through memes posted on the page, in order to attract and vet new members. “They also refer to it as the ‘big luau,’ which is another play off the term Boogaloo. We like Hawaiian shirts.”An example of the Boogaloo Boys meme that was shared on the Wolverine Watchmen Facebook group page, according to the FBI.

JACKSON, Mich. – Attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. The attorneys are questioning the description of the Wolverine Watchmen as a terrorist organization. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? The FBI said they never heard of the Wolverine Watchmen until one of them created a Facebook Group. RELATED: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov.

JACKSON, MI – A Jackson County judge denied a request for a second bond reduction for a man accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Jackson County Judge Michael Klaeren denied Joseph Morrison’s second request for a lower bond Dec. 18. He is still lodged at the Jackson County Jail. 6 suspects in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Read all MLive reporting about the alleged plot here.

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 group’s 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 wasn’t 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.

The bond hearing for Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar was held in Jackson County’s 12th District Court before Judge Michael Klaeren on Friday. Bellar, 21, of Milford, was charged with providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership, carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Morrison’s bond was reduced to $150,000 cash/surety and he remains in custody at the Jackson County Jail. Once he is returned to Michigan, he will be arraigned in Antrim County’s 86th District Court on a 20-year felony charge of material support of an act of terrorism. Both Bellar and Morrison are scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause conference at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 18.

JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s prosecution against the eight men facing domestic terrorism charges for an alleged plot to storm the Capitol building and kidnap elected officials, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, continued Friday with a bond hearing for two of the defendants in Jackson County 12th District Court. He remains lodged in the Jackson County Jail. Brian Higgins, 52, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, is being extradited to Michigan from Columbia County, Wisconsin. Future court dates for Antrim County defendants can be tracked online at the court’s website, while those for Jackson County defendants can also be tracked online.

JACKSON, MI – One of the men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Paul Bellar, 21, posted bond Friday, Nov. 13, Jackson County Sheriff Capt. Bellar posted bond after a hearing before Jackson County District Judge Michael Klaeren where his bond was reduced from $10 million to $75,000. Bond reduced for Jackson-area men charged in Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plotBellar is the second of three people charged in Jackson County to post bond.

JACKSON, MI – All three Jackson-area men charged in connection with the plot to kidnap Gov. Jackson County District Judge Michael Klaeren reduced the $10 million bond set for Joseph Morrison, 26, to $150,000 and the $500,000 bond for Paul Bellar, 21, to $75,000 after hearing arguments at a bond hearing Friday, Nov. 13. Man accused in plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer free on bondMorrison, Bellar and Musico are three of eight charged individuals believed to be involved in the plot to kidnap Whitmer. He’s the commander of the watchmen.”The ties that bind the men behind the plot to kidnap Gov.

Gretchen Whitmer was arraigned in Jackson County on Tuesday afternoon. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office extradited Bellar to Jackson County, where he appeared before Jackson County Magistrate Fredrick Bishop on Oct. 20. The ties that bind the men behind the plot to kidnap Gov. Two suspects charged in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Bellar is scheduled for a probable cause conference at 1 p.m., Oct. 30 before Jackson County District Judge Michael Klaeren.

A deeper look into the backgrounds of 14 men charged in an alleged plot to kidnap the Michigan governor and spark a civil war reveals varied lifestyles and ideologies. 6 Whitmer plot exhibitsThe men set up silhouettes of mock people in a field to test how deadly their homemade bombs might be. Trask said some of those damaged silhouettes were still set up when the FBI raided the property on Oct. 7. Molitor at his arraignment received the lowest bond among any of the men charged in the alleged plot so far, $250,000 cash-surety or 10%. Michigan state police in a court affidavit said Higgins participated in training and planning exercises with the other suspects and attended the September surveillance mission at Whitmer’s lake house.

LANSING, MI -- A Wisconsin man is jailed and accused of participating in a plot to instigate violence with the hopes of sparking a civil war and helping plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. State Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Higgins with providing material support for an act of terrorism, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The arrest warrant says Higgins participated in the plan to kidnap Whitmer by Nov. 3, the date of the presidential election, between March 1 and Oct. 12. Police arrested Bellar in South Carolina, where he is awaiting extradition to Michigan, which is expected to occur by Oct. 27, the AG’s Office said.

Local 4 has learned more Friday about the alleged plot to kidnap Gov. That’s when the Wolverine Watchmen caught the FBI’s attention. In June, the men involved in the kidnapping conspiracy started meeting with members of the Wolverine Watchmen and recruiting others to their ranks. “They 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.

MUNITH, Mich. – 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.

Paul Bellar, 21, of Milford, was charged with providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and a felony firearm violation. Providing material support for terrorists acts, threat of terrorism and gang membership are each 20-year felonies. The felony firearm violations come with mandatory two-year prison sentences, to be served consecutively. You can view mugshots for Bellar, Musico, Morrison, Molitor, Fix and the Nulls below. Brian Higgins was charged after the FBI uncovered a domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov.