Michigan jury finds three men guilty in plot to kidnap governor | Reuters
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Oct. 26 (Reuters) - A Michigan jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of aiding a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a plot that prosecutors said grew out of hostility over restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After two weeks of testimony in Jackson County Circuit Court, the jury found Joseph Morrison, 28, his father-in-law Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 23, guilty of gang membership, firearm violations and providing material support for terrorism. They could face up to 20 years in prison.
The verdict was a victory for state prosecutors who argued that the men assisted two others who in August were found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy in federal court. It stands as the most prominent case involving domestic terrorism and militias in years.
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The conspirators hoped that an abduction would lead to a violent uprising and instigate a civil war, prosecutors said.
Morrison and Musico were accused of hosting tactical training sessions on their property in a remote part of Michigan. Bellar was accused of providing plans for tactical maneuvers, coded language for covert communication and ammunition.
Defense attorneys argued the defendants did not know of a plan to kidnap the governor and that their actions were protected by the First and Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Detroit News reported.
