Motion 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.
Informant in plot against Whitmer indicted on weapons charges
A lot of the evidence in the trial was provided by key FBI informants. READ: How a post office worker became FBIโs 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 FBIโs own informants helped train the men, allegedly pushing the plot forward. AdREAD: 19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendantโs guilty plea
Defense for Wolverine Watchmen argue violent rhetoric against Gov. Whitmer was satirical
JACKSON, Mich. โ 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.
Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov. Whitmer
JACKSON, Mich. โ 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. Itโs a similar defense to what was used by attorneys representing members of the Hutaree group in 2012.
How a post office worker became FBIโs inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer
JACKSON, Mich. โ 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.
3 men charged in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer appear in court
JACKSON, Mich. โ 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.
Man agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. โ A Hartland man admitted in federal court Wednesday to training and preparing other in the domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Gov. Ty Gerard Garbin, 24, of Hartland, agreed to plead guilty to an indictment that charges him with kidnapping conspiracy. READ: 19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendantโs guilty pleaGarbin, an airline mechanic from Hartand is the first person to plead guilty in the domestic terrorism plot against Whitmer. The weapons of mass destruction charge comes from the improvised explosive devices that were a part of the plan. In his plea, Garbin admits to his role in training to kidnap the governor in a violent raid on her summer home.
19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendantโs guilty plea
Gretchen Whitmer revealed many of the unusual and disturbing details of the scheme as part of his guilty plea. Ty Gerard Garbin, 24, of Hartland, agreed to plead guilty to an indictment that charges him with kidnapping conspiracy. Whitmer, hold her hostageHere are some of the details about the plot confirmed by Garbin in the guilty plea. Group members practiced combat first aid, such as applying tourniquets and treatment gunshot or shrapnel wounds, in case they were injured during a fight with law enforcement. According to Garbin, Fox said he had a Taser and zip ties to โneutralizeโ Whitmer.
Man pleads guilty in conspiracy to kidnap Michigan governor
Garbin, one of six men charged in an alleged plot to snatch Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to plead guilty to a kidnapping conspiracy, according to court document filed Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (Kent County Sheriff via AP File)DETROIT โ One of six men charged in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Ty Garbinโs guilty plea is a major catch for prosecutors, only about four months after arrests were made. Six people were charged in federal court while eight others were charged in state court with aiding them.
A 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.
5 men charged in domestic terror plot against Gov. Whitmer bound over for trial
LANSING, Mich. โ Five of the men charged in an alleged domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. FBI officials said the men were captured on audio tapes plotting to kidnap or kill Whitmer and overthrow the state Capitol Building. Brian Higgins was charged after the FBI uncovered a domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. FBI officials said the alleged plot was to storm the state Capitol Building or kidnap Whitmer from her northern Michigan vacation home. FBI officials said they were able to stop the men before that happened.
Defense questions whether domestic terror group targeting Whitmer would have gone through with plan
LANSING, Mich. โ The defense attorneys for two of the men charged in connection with a domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are trying to cast doubt on whether the men actually planned to go through with their scheme. Brian Higgins was charged after the FBI uncovered a domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. Heโs accused of plotting to launch terror attacks and then kidnap or kill Whitmer. FBI officials said the alleged plot was to storm the state Capitol Building or kidnap Whitmer from her northern Michigan vacation home.
Federal court hearing for suspects in Whitmer kidnapping plot -- what weโve learned as of Tuesday
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. โ Federal prosecutors and FBI agents detailed the alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Federal officials said Kaleb Franks, of Waterford, advocated for someone to impersonate a pizza delivery driver and shoot Whitmer at her home. Brandon Caserta, of Canton, may have been the reason federal officials moved to arrest the men. According to federal officials, the men were angry over COVID-19 shutdown orders and also contemplated attacking the governor of Virginia. The plot against Whitmer and an attack on the State House were the main focus.
3 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.
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.
Details on plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer and the men charged -- What we know
Federal officials became aware of the various alleged plots to kidnap Gov. Federal officials raided a mobile home in Hartland Wednesday belonging to Ty Garbin, who is one of those accused. Recruiting turned into in-person meetings, some federal officials said taking place in a basement of a vacuum store in Grand Rapids where one of the men, Adam Fox, lived. While there were suggestions of going to the State Capitol to take the governor, the men turned their attention to Whitmerโs vacation home in northern Michigan as the place to kidnap her from. The plan was then to take Whitmer to Wisconsin to stand trial for what the men viewed as treason.
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.
View: Mugshots for all 14 people charged after FBI uncovered plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer
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.
Leader of Gov. Whitmer abduction plot inspected bridge for where to plant explosives, FBI says
Gretchen Whitmer inspected a bridge for where to plant explosives so the group could delay police response to the kidnapping scene, FBI agents said. Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft were named in the criminal complaint. Through confidential informants and undercover agents, the FBI monitored the plot for several months. The first mention of the bridge in the criminal complaint refers to an Aug. 30 exchange between Garbin and an FBI informant. VIEW: Mugshots for people charged after FBI uncovered plot to kidnap WhitmerFox later shared that information with the larger group, court records show.
Deep dive into the details of a scheme to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, hold her hostage
Here is a deep dive into the intricate details of a scheme to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home, including quotes from undercover audio recordings, code words used while plotting and a secret trap door hidden under the rug of a Grand Rapids business.
FBI uncovers plan to kidnap Gov. Whitmer as hostage, overthrow Michigan government, feds say
More than a dozen people have been charged after what the FBI is calling a โviolentโ militia scheme involving people from several different states to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a hostage and overthrow the Michigan government.