Jury finds 2 Michigan men guilty in Whitmer kidnapping plot

Aug. 23 (UPI) -- A federal jury in Grand Rapids, Mich. convicted two men on Tuesday of planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

It was the second time around for federal prosecutors after jurors deadlocked in an April trial of Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. The jury deliberated for eight hours before finding the men guilty of kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction. The jury found Croft guilty of another weapons charge.

"This verdict brings important accountability for perpetrators of violence against public officials," said former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara McQuade, according to the Detroit Free Press. "Bringing these plotters to justice will cause others to think twice before engaging in similar conduct in the future."

Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks entered guilty pleas to federal kidnapping conspiracy charges and testified as the government's star witnesses earlier. In the April trial, Daniel Harris was acquitted on all four counts, while Brendan Caserta was acquitted on the single count for kidnapping conspiracy.

Federal agents arrested the kidnapping defendants in early October 2020 and accused them of hatching the plot due to distrust of the government and anger over COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Whitmer's government.

The arrests were part of a larger plot that included more than a dozen men, highlighting concerns over extremism that emerged during that period. Ten people are facing charges in state court.