3 years after plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, here are the trial outcomes, verdicts
October will mark three years since FBI officials announced they'd made arrests over a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The government alleged a group of men, disgruntled with Whitmer's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, had organized a plot to kidnap the governor from a northern Michigan vacation home. The ensuing trials sparked debate over the rise of radicalism and domestic terrorism in the U.S., while defense lawyers argued the charges were a product of overzealous FBI informants and undercover agents.
Fast forward three years, and government, in both state and federal courts, has had mixed success in trying the men initially charged. On Friday, an Antrim County jury acquitted twin brothers William and Michael Null along with Eric Molitor on charges of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge, marking the final verdict in the plot. All told, government prosecutors landed nine combined convictions and guilty pleas and five acquittals in the case.
Whitmer's chief of staff, JoAnne Huls, called Friday's verdict disappointing, issuing a statement saying the acquittals "will further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement."
"Governor Whitmer ran for office because she loves Michigan. That’s why public servants do what they do," Huls continued. "We will not let anyone stop us from getting things done. We will be relentless in our pursuit of making Michigan a better place to live and work. We appreciate the prosecutors and law enforcement officers for their work."
With Friday's acquittals, here are the results of the trials and charges issued by prosecutors stemming from the kidnapping plot:
In federal court
Adam Fox - Convicted of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction. Prosecutors labeled Fox, who was living in the basement of a Grand Rapids vacuum repair shop at the time of his arrest, the ringleader of the plot. In August 2022, a jury convicted Fox across all counts. That was the second trial for Fox, as a west Michigan jury couldn't land on a verdict in April of that year, triggering a mistrial.
Fox, originally from Potterville, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in December. He has asked the U.S. Sixth Circuit of Appeals for another trial, arguing through an attorney he didn't get a fair shake during his second trial.
Barry Croft - Convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction and knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device. Croft, of Bear, Delaware, was convicted alongside Fox last August and was sentenced to 19 years in prison that December, a few days after Fox was sentenced.
Also like Fox, Croft has appealed for another trial.
Kaleb Franks - Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap. Franks, of Fowlerville, pleaded guilty and cooperated with federal prosecutors before the initial trial in federal court began. He became a key witness in both federal trials, testifying against his former co-defendants that the plot was real. Franks is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.
Ty Garbin - Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap. Also pleading guilty and cooperating with prosecutors was Garbin, of Hartland. Garbin's sentence was reduced from an initial six years to 30 months last September.
Brandon Caserta - Acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap. Caserta, of Canton, stood trial along Fox and Croft in April 2022, but a jury found him not guilty of conspiring in the plot. He declined to testify in the second trial, invoking his Fifth Amendment right at the advice of his attorney to avoid self-incrimination.
Daniel Harris - Acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction, possessing an unregistered destructive device and possessing an unregistered short barrel rifle. Harris, of Lake Orion, was the only defendant in the initial federal trial to testify on his own behalf. He was found not guilty on all counts.
In Jackson County court
Pete Musico - Convicted of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony. Musico, of Munith, was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison last December. He and two other co-defendants were found guilty by a Jackson County jury for providing support for those charged in federal court.
Joseph Morrison - Convicted of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony. Morrison, who is Musico's son-in-law, was sentenced to 10 years in prison alongside Musico.
Paul Bellar - Convicted of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony. Bellar, of Milford, received the shortest sentence of the trio tried in Jackson County, a seven-year prison stint.
In Antrim County court
Eric Molitor - Acquitted of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony.
Michael Null - Acquitted of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony.
William Null - Acquitted of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying or possessing a firearm during a felony.
Shawn Fix - Pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorist acts. Fix, of Belleville, pleaded guilty in front of an Antrim County judge in June, rather than facing trial alongside Molitor and the Nulls. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Brian Higgins - Pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support for terrorist acts. Higgins, from Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in March, also avoiding a trial. He faces a maximum of five years in prison.
Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected]. Follow him on X (Twitter) @arpanlobo.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: In plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, here are the trial outcomes, verdicts
