*UPDATE*
The jurors acquitted two men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and remained deadlocked on the other men. The judge declared a mistrial:
Jurors Friday acquitted two men Friday accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and deadlocked on charges against the two alleged ringleaders, delivering a staggering blow to the government in one of the largest domestic terrorism cases in recent U.S. history.Chief U.S. District Robert Jonker declared a mistrial on kidnapping conspiracy charges against accused ringleaders Adam Fox, 38, of Potterville and Barry Croft, 46, of Delaware. Accused plotters Daniel Harris 24 and Brandon Caserta, 34, of Canton Township, were being freed Friday afternoon after nearly two years behind bars.”Best birthday gift ever,” Caserta told supporters as relatives yelled “Happy Birthday” inside the federal courtroom in downtown Grand Rapids.
***Previous Reporting
The jurors in the Gov. Grethen Whitmer (D-MI) kidnap plot trial reached a verdict on some charges but remained deadlocked on others.
It is the fifth day of deliberations. Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker told the jurors to deliberate more on the charges “in hopes of reaching a unanimous verdict.”
The jurors received the pennies “offered as evidence on an explosive earlier in the trial” on Thursday before they went home.
Four men face charges for conspiring to kidnap Whitmer:
The jury is considering 10 charges in the case: one against Brandon Caserta, two against Adam Fox, three against Barry Croft Jr. and four against Daniel Harris. The men all face the main charge of a kidnapping conspiracy; the other counts are related to explosives and a firearm.Pennies taped to a commercial-grade firework were intended to act like shrapnel, investigators said.A homemade explosive was detonated during training in September 2020, according to evidence, about a month before the men were arrested.
The prosecutors allege the men developed the plot because Whitmer shut down the state over COVID and anti-government sentiments. The defense said the prosecution’s main witness, Dan Chappel, “was the real leader, taking direction from the FBI and keeping the group on edge while recording them for months.”
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