LANSING, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Attorney General’s office has confirmed that a 14th person has been charged in connection with the plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer.
51-year-old Brian Higgins of Wisconsin is charged with material support of an act of terrorism, which is a 20 year felony if convicted. He was arrested in Wisconsin on Thursday and will be extradited to Michigan.
Now, a total of 20 state felony charges have been filed against eight individuals known to be members of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen or associates of Wolverine Watchmen.
Brandon Caserta, Kaleb Franks, and Daniel Harris are three of the federal suspects. Their request to be released on bond was denied on Tuesday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens.
The court will hear the same requests for suspects Adam Fox and Ty Garbin on Friday. Another suspect, Barry Croft of Delaware, has been ordered to be extradited to Michigan to face his charges.
News of the plot broke a week ago. The group was allegedly angry about the governor’s executive orders issued during the coronavirus pandemic and her move to shut down businesses.
Aside from the kidnapping plot, other allegations against group members include the murder of police officers, the crafting of homemade explosives, the possibility of leaving Whitmer on a boat in Lake Michigan, running surveillance checks on Whitmer’s vacation home, storming the State Capitol building in Lansing and taking the Governor to an unspecified area for a “trial.”
On Thursday, Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement saying, “While the political rhetoric in our nation may at times be divisive, I am encouraged by the united front our law enforcement community has displayed in response to this indescribable act of terror. These were very credible, and very serious threats to our elected officials and the public in general, and the swift actions taken by state and federal authorities this past week are nothing short of heroic.”
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