One of six men accused of planning to abduct Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer last fall has pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping conspiracy charge, while the other five defendants remain silent.
According to the plea agreement of Ty Gerard Garbin, part of the “Wolverine Watchmen,” an aim of certain members of the group was to “storm the Capitol, try any politicians they caught for treason and to execute them by hanging on live television.”
Whitmer had been repeatedly criticized by then-President Trump and Michigan Republicans for her measures to halt the spread of COVID-19. Large, angry protests of armed people rioted at the Michigan state capitol and created a violent, frightening scene in the fall of 2019.
On January 7, one day after the deadly Capitol Hill riots, Whitmer said she was not surprised at the violence but wondered why everyone else was shocked.
"I think the worst part is, though, how many people were saying they can’t believe this can happen in the United States of America?” she reflected. “All I can think was - were they not paying attention to what happened eight months ago?"
Garbin, 25, stated he participated in a well-organized plan by fellow extremists to kidnap Whitmer. The Feds announced the plea deal ahead of Garbin’s upcoming appearance in court and did not include any information about sentencing in their announcement.
However, when Garbin entered his plea, prosecutors did allude to offering reduced jail time or no jail time depending upon Garbin’s cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
The Department of Justice released a statement saying, “Garbin faces up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system. The District Court will determine the ultimate sentence to be imposed after evaluating the applicable federal Sentencing Guidelines and considering the statutory sentencing factors, including the nature and circumstances of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; the seriousness of the offense; and the need to promote respect for the law, to provide just punishment, and protect the public from future crimes of the defendant.”
The trial is set for March 23, with sentencing on July 8.
As part of the plea deal, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan has agreed not to bring any further charges against Garbin.
The Justice Department reports detailed plans to blow up a bridge to stop law enforcement from blocking them, kidnapping Whitmer from her vacation home, and much more.
Stunning plans Garbin detailed in his plea detail alleged plots to kidnap Whitmer, included using Molotov cocktails and IEDs at the Michigan statehouse.
Due to the difficulties of successfully storming the Michigan State House, Garbin said his co-conspirators decided to edit their plans and kidnap the governor at her vacation home.
The Militia Watchmen allegedly created a “shoot house” and trained extensively for battle using IEDs, Molotov cocktails, semi-automatic assault rifles with silencers, and a 37-foot projectile launcher.
It's expected that Garbin will provide further evidence in the case against the extremists. In his plea deal, Garbin agreed to "fully cooperate” with Feds.
The remaining five defendants include Daniel Joseph Harris, Barry Gordon Croft, Jr., Adam Dean Fox, Kaleb James Franks, and Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta.
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Ty G. Garbin, a 25-year old airplane mechanic, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court on January 27, 2021. He and five other men were charged in federal court with plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. The other defendants are Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Kaleb Franks, Daniel... Read More »
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