Two found guilty in conspiracy to kidnap Michigan governor

Convictions arrived today for Adam Fox and 46-year-old Barry Croft Jr., who had conspired to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. CBS News reports that they were also found guilty of “conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction” in order to detonate a bridge and prevent police response to the intended kidnapping, and Croft was specifically convicted of an additional explosives charge.

The Detroit Free Press states Fox and Croft may receive up to life in prison. This August trial occurred after their first trial in April resulted in a deadlocked jury and two acquittals, “triggering a mistrial.” In total, four men will go to prison for the kidnapping plot, and two will go free. Their stated motivation for the kidnapping conspiracy was mainly Governor Whitmer’s COVID regulations toward the beginning of the pandemic.

Investigation included two informants and two embedded undercover FBI agents while the group was still planning the crime, states CBS News. Much of the defense’s case hinged on demonstrating that the FBI had entrapped and encouraged the men toward the crime, though the prosecution asserted that the group had independently moved toward this goal. According to Detroit Free Press, an appeal will be likely.