A Michigan jury has found three men guilty of materially aiding a terrorist and belonging to a gang, ending a three-week trial in which prosecutors argued the men aided in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Paul Bellar, Joseph Morrison, and Pete Musico were found guilty of aiding Adam Fox or Barry Croft, the ringleaders of the kidnapping plot, after a jury deliberation of five hours, according to the Detroit News. They were also convicted of a felony weapons charge.
Bellar, Morrison, and Musico face up to 22 years in prison — 20 years for the providing material support charge and two for the felony weapons charge.
Whitmer vowed she “will not let anyone get in the way of the work we do” after the verdict was announced.
“No threat, no plot, no rhetoric will break my belief in the goodness and decency of our people,” she wrote. “And these verdicts are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics.”
Today, three defendants were found guilty of material support for terrorism, gang membership, and possession of a weapon while committing a felony in support of the plot to kidnap and kill me.
Now, hear me loud and clear: I will not let anyone get in the way of the work we do.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 26, 2022
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a press release that the prosecution of the defendants “prevented horrific acts from taking the lives of innocent people.”
“Terrorist attacks and mass shootings are not spontaneous events, they are the result of planning, plotting and amassing resources in a build-up to violent acts,” Nessel said. “This office will not sit idly by and watch while armed terrorists plan acts of civil unrest with the intent of causing mayhem and murder. These are not merely acts of ‘harmless chatter’ and ‘wishful thinking.’”
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The three men were part of the Wolverine Watchmen militia, which helped train Fox and Croft for the kidnapping plot, prosecutors argued during the trial. Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani said Bellar provided medical and firearms training and that Musico provided facilities and personnel.
Morrison provided facilities, personnel, and advice to Fox, such as operating security and recruiting, giving him a “blueprint” for the plot, Doddamani said.
Michigan FBI Special Agent James Tarasca said in a statement that the defendants believed “violence was an appropriate way to address an ideological grievance” and that the verdict proves they were wrong.
“Violence is never the answer, and the FBI remains committed to investigating and holding accountable anyone who seeks to further an ideological cause through violence,” Tarasca said.
A jury found Croft and Fox guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy, and attempting to procure a weapon of mass destruction in August after the first trial led to a mistrial in June.
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Two other defendants, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, were found not guilty in April, and two others involved in the plot, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, pleaded guilty to kidnapping conspiracy and testified at Croft and Fox’s trial.
