A federal grand jury indicted six men in the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge released the indictment on Thursday. If convicted, each man is eligible for up to life in prison.
The indictment accused two of the men, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., of meeting up on June 6 to discuss anti-government activities, including kidnapping state governors. Fox then allegedly recruited other men to the cause.
A month after the initial meeting, all of the men charged except for Fox met up to conduct a “field training exercise” in Wisconsin, which included practice attacking a vehicle with rifles, according to the indictment.
A month later, Fox allegedly proposed kidnapping the governor to three of the men. After Fox conducted surveillance of the governor’s vacation home, prosecutors say one of the men suggested taking out a highway bridge near it to delay first responders.
The men continued to train and discuss their plans after that. One of the men, Brandon Caserta, per the indictment, told the other men to offer police the chance to leave should they encounter them “during a reconnaissance” but that they should kill them if they refused.
During the investigation, an FBI agent posed as a co-conspirator.
All six men had been previously charged, but per the Constitution, according to Birge, a grand jury indictment was required to continue with the prosecution.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has already charged the six men and two others with supporting terrorist acts and possessing firearms in relation to the plot.
The FBI and Michigan State Police are still investigating the incident.
