FBI arrest 6 men in a militia plot to kidnap Michigan governor who also wanted to kill police officers.

A man described as the leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked “when’s the lynching?” after the state Supreme Court in 2020 struck down a law that she repeatedly used to impose restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to evidence introduced Monday.

The disclosure came near the end of the first phase of testimony by a key government witness in the trial of four men. Cross examination of Dan Chappel followed.

Chappel, an Army veteran, was an FBI informant who secretly recorded hours of conversations, participated in chat groups and trained to abduct Whitmer, along with Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.

Prosecutors say the four were antigovernment extremists who wanted to grab the Democratic governor at her vacation home in northern Michigan in retaliation for a series of sweeping orders during the pandemic.

With Chappel in the witness chair, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler introduced messages written after Whitmer lost a Michigan Supreme Court decision about her powers.

WHITMER KIDNAP PLOT TRIAL

• Text: When's 'lynching?' Michigan governor plot leader said
• Informant gives key details about plot against Gov. Whitmer
• FBI: Accused wanted 'tyrant' Gov. Whitmer tied up on table
• Snapshots of 4 men charged in Whitmer kidnapping plot

“When’s the lynching?” Fox wrote. “She should be arrested now, immediately. Who wants to roll out?”

The exchange occurred just a few days before the FBI arrested the men before they could obtain an explosive to use in a kidnapping.

Fox, Croft, Harris and Caserta are charged with conspiracy. Chappel last week told jurors how two trips were made to northern Michigan to see Whitmer’s property as well as a nearby bridge that could be blown up to distract police.

Defense lawyers claim informants and agents improperly influenced the four men. Two other men, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, pleaded guilty to the scheme and will eventually testify for the government.

Whitmer rarely talks publicly about the case, though she referred to “surprises” over the last few years that seem “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelectionlast week.

She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. Whitmer has said Trump was complicit in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

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DETROIT — A rogue FBI informant tried to keep the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot alive, obstruct justice and destroy evidence after federal agents arrested more than a dozen men in fall 2020, prosecutors said Friday.

The informant, Wisconsin resident Stephen Robeson, urged others to destroy evidence, warned accused plot ringleader Barry Croft that he was wanted by the FBI and told another to destroy evidence by throwing a gun in a lake, according to a court filing.

Prosecutors leveled the allegations while trying to prevent Robeson from being called as a defense witness during the ongoing trial of four men charged with plotting to kidnap the governor.

Defense lawyers are expected to call Robeson as a witness in the next week or two and ask about his work as an FBI informant and leader of a fake militia who organized trainings and meetings and recorded members of the alleged kidnap plot.

Prosecutors Friday said Robeson is likely to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination due to the possibility he would be charged with new crimes related to the kidnap plot.

The court filing Friday provides new details about Robeson's breakup with the FBI and wrongdoing that led to the convicted felon being indicted on a gun charge and dropped from the kidnap case in October 2020.

That is the same month FBI investigators arrested 13 men in connection with the alleged plot.

"The reason: Steve had been breaking the law without authorization and surreptitiously assisting the other conspirators," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler wrote.

FBI agents sanctioned Robeson's activities, paid him, rewarded him, gave him secret recording equipment and let him commit illegal activities while working for the government, defense lawyers wrote in a request earlier this week to have Robeson testify.

"Robeson now seeks to assist the government to avoid answering for their actions by hiding behind the pretense of self-incrimination despite being given nearly carte blanche authority by his agents and handlers to gallivant across the country, parading himself as the leader of a national militia and being a significant link in the defendants’ case," defense lawyers Joshua Blanchard and Christopher Gibbons wrote.

They represent accused plotters Croft, 46, of Delaware and Adam Fox, 38, of Potterville. They are standing trial alongside Lake Orion resident Daniel Harris, 24, and Brandon Caserta, 33, of Canton Township.

The group was arrested in early October 2020. Robeson knew about the looming arrests and was instructed not to tell anyone. He warned Croft anyway, and told another person, who was secretly working as an FBI informant, to encrypt a training roster, according to prosecutors.

Robeson also said despite the arrests, he was willing to continue helping with the kidnap plot, prosecutors wrote. He called another FBI informant, Dan Chappel, and told him to throw Croft's gun in a lake and get rid of a vehicle that was used during surveillance, according to the government.

"Steve dubiously claimed in a statement to agents that he did the above things to try and avoid being 'outed' as a source," Kessler wrote.

Robeson was indicted in March 2021 and accused of illegally obtaining a sniper rifle in what amounted to the first sign of trouble with a high-profile case of domestic terrorism that has revealed and raised questions about FBI agent misconduct.

He pleaded guilty in October and avoided a prison sentence under terms of a deal with prosecutors.

Prosecutors Friday asked Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker to schedule a hearing outside the presence of jurors so Robeson can be questioned. Then Robeson's testimony in front of jurors should be barred, according to the filing.

"The government believes that — at a minimum — Steve will invoke his privilege against self-incrimination in response to the government’s questions on cross-examination," the prosecutor wrote. "Assuming he does, his refusal to testify will be based on a well-founded fear of incriminating himself arising from his obstructive and other potentially criminal actions outside the scope of his work as a(n informant)."

Meanwhile, defense attorneys on Friday in court Friday tried to blunt the testimony of a man who said he plotted to kidnap Whitmer, getting him to admit that after his arrest he had referred to the group as a “bunch of jokers” just playing roles.

But Kaleb Franks, who pleaded guilty in February, said he had lied to the FBI because he feared going to jail for his part in a staggering scheme to grab Whitmer from her vacation home in northern Michigan just before the 2020 national election.

Franks said he was hoping that “LARPing” — live-action role-playing — would “explain the firearms ... all the stuff that was a part of the crime."

“If you were LARPing, would you have pled guilty?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth asked.

“No,” Franks replied.

He testified on the 10th day of trial of the four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer. Franks agreed to cooperate with prosecutors with the hope of getting a lighter sentence in June.

He said Fox believed Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions were “tyrannical” and that the U.S. Constitution gave the men a right to strike back. Earlier in the week, another man who pleaded guilty, Ty Garbin, said a kidnapping could ignite a U.S. civil war involving anti-government groups and possibly prevent the election of Joe Biden.

Franks' main testimony occurred Thursday in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He described training in summer 2020 for an eventual assault on Whitmer's second home in Elk Rapids, reinforcing testimony earlier in the week from Garbin, the first person to plead guilty.

“I was going to be an operator,” Franks said. “I would be one of the people on the front line, so to speak, using my gun.”

He said he stayed with the group because he was depressed and had hoped he would be killed in a shootout with police.

Defense attorneys on Friday tried to trip Franks up by highlighting inconsistencies.

“Your testimony from the last couple days has been, ‘These guys were serious.’ That's not what you said to the FBI when you were arrested,” Croft lawyer Joshua Blanchard said. “You referred to the group as a whole as a bunch of jokers, that they're LARPing. ... When we use that term we're referring to people who go to the comic con to dress up as Pokemon."

Franks acknowledged telling investigators that Fox, described as the leader, was regularly egged on by a man who turned out to be an FBI informant secretly recording conversations for months. It conflicted with his earlier remarks that Dan Chappel didn’t try to steer the group.

“I was untruthful in that interview because I was trying not to go to jail,” Franks told the jury.

He also acknowledged a heroin problem and that he had illegally used an opiate substitute while in custody in the case.

Defense attorneys were trying to show the jury that there was no credible plot, just a lot of profane, violent and crazy talk about Whitmer and other politicians trampling their rights during the pandemic.

The jury was sent home about 50 minutes early Friday because a government witness hadn't arrived yet. Jonker was unhappy.

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hanimmal said:

lol no wonder all the trolls were trying like hell to sell their 'FBI' entrapment story for these idiot traitors.
link
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captainmorgan said:

These people are village idiot stupid.

FBI agents raid home as death threats target Whitmer kidnap case judge, lawyers

The raid raises questions about the security of figures in one of the most important prosecutions involving alleged domestic terrorism and extremism.

www.detroitnews.com

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captainmorgan said:

These people are village idiot stupid.

FBI agents raid home as death threats target Whitmer kidnap case judge, lawyers

The raid raises questions about the security of figures in one of the most important prosecutions involving alleged domestic terrorism and extremism.

www.detroitnews.com

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Jurors are returning for a second day of deliberations in the trial of four men accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Jurors asked for a definition of “weapon” Monday but otherwise gave no indication of the progress of their work.

“We’ll do the same drill” Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said.

Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy. Three of them also face additional charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, namely an explosive.

The judge consulted prosecutors and defense lawyers before explaining how to define “weapon.”

“Something that can be used to injure, kill or destroy someone or something,” Jonker told the jury. “So if that helps — I hope — great. If it doesn’t, just let us know.”

WHITMER KIDNAP PLOT TRIAL

• 1st day ends with no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer plot
• EXPLAINER: Charges in Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case
• Jury gets case of 4 men charged in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
• Defense rests in trial of 4 men in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

The trial has lasted 16 days, including 13 days of testimony. The jury heard hours of closing arguments and instructions Friday.

Prosecutors said the conspiracy against Whitmer was fueled by anti-government extremism and anger over her COVID-19 restrictions. With undercover FBI agents and informants embedded in the group, the men trained with a crudely built “shoot house” to replicate her vacation home in September 2020, according to testimony.

There is no dispute that the alleged leaders, Fox and Croft, traveled to Elk Rapids, Michigan, that same weekend to see the location of the governor’s lakeside property and a nearby bridge. Harris and Caserta have been described as “soldiers” in the scheme.

Another man, Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty, said the goal was to get Whitmer before the fall election and create enough chaos to create a civil war and stop Joe Biden from winning the presidency. Much of the government’s case came from secretly recorded conversations, group messages and social media posts.

Defense lawyers attacked the government’s investigation and the use of a crucial informant, Dan Chappel. They claimed Chappel was the real leader, taking direction from the FBI and keeping the group on edge while recording them for months.

“There was no plan,” Croft attorney Joshua Blanchard told the jury.

Croft is from Bear, Delaware, while the others are from Michigan.

Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seemed like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.

She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case.

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blueberrymilkshake said:

Self proclaimed "patriots" have a lot of overlap with terrorists.

Would their head explode if you forced them to take the red pill?

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blueberrymilkshake said:

Self proclaimed "patriots" have a lot of overlap with terrorists.

Would their head explode if you forced them to take the red pill?

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xtsho said:

To bad we can't do what Castro did when he emptied his jails in the 80's, put everyone on boats, and sent them on their way to Miami.

Put these enemies of The United States on a plane and drop them off in the middle of Syria.

Freaks, every last one of them. These things actually think that they're the true Americans. They're traitors and should be treated as such.

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hanimmal said:

https://apnews.com/article/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial-adam-fox-gretchen-whitmer-michigan-conspiracy-e0e059243f26e174a3dd1f7f62498d35
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schuylaar said:

They're still deliberating?

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A jury emerged Tuesday with no verdict yet in the trial of four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker thanked jurors for their “ongoing attentiveness and work” and told them to return Wednesday for a third day of deliberations.

Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy. Three of them also face additional charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, namely an explosive.

The judge rejected a request for trial transcripts in the jury room. Jonker said there was a practical reason: Transcripts aren’t available yet. But even if they were, he added, the jury shouldn’t have them.

“You have to do your best as a group to recall, remember,” Jonker said.

The trial has covered 17 days since March 8, including 13 days of testimony. The jury heard hours of closing arguments and instructions Friday before beginning its deliberations Monday.

WHITMER KIDNAP PLOT TRIAL

• 1st day ends with no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer plot
• EXPLAINER: Charges in Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case
• Jury gets case of 4 men charged in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
• Defense rests in trial of 4 men in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Prosecutors said the conspiracy against Whitmer was fueled by anti-government extremism and anger over her COVID-19 restrictions. With undercover FBI agents and informants embedded in the group, the men trained with a crudely built “shoot house” to replicate her vacation home in September 2020, according to testimony.

There is no dispute that the alleged leaders, Fox and Croft, traveled to Elk Rapids, Michigan, that same weekend to see the location of the governor’s lakeside property and a nearby bridge. Harris and Caserta have been described as “soldiers” in the scheme.

Another man, Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty, said the goal was to get Whitmer before the fall election and create enough chaos to create a civil war and stop Joe Biden from winning the presidency. Much of the government’s case came from secretly recorded conversations, group messages and social media posts.

Defense lawyers attacked the government’s investigation and the use of a crucial informant, Dan Chappel. They claimed Chappel was the real leader, taking direction from the FBI and keeping the group on edge while recording them for months.

“There was no plan,” Croft attorney Joshua Blanchard told the jury.

Croft is from Bear, Delaware, while the others are from Michigan.

Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seemed like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.

She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case.

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hanimmal said:

https://apnews.com/article/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial-adam-fox-gretchen-whitmer-michigan-conspiracy-e0e059243f26e174a3dd1f7f62498d35
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hanimmal said:

https://apnews.com/article/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial-adam-fox-gretchen-whitmer-michigan-conspiracy-e0e059243f26e174a3dd1f7f62498d35
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xtsho said:

The photos of these guys look like they came from one of those neighborhood sex offender registries that show all the offenders in the area.

If they would stop with all their sausage fest gatherings and clean themselves up they might be able to get a date, find a nice lady, and start living a normal life. But these losers are too stupid to live a decent life and enjoy it. I hope they all rot in prison for decades.

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