By Canadian Press

2nd man pleads guilty in alleged 2020 plot to kidnap Whitmer

Feb 9, 2022 | 7:13 AM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A second man pleaded guilty Wednesday in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The plea by Kaleb Franks leaves four other men to face trial in March and gives prosecutors a second insider who would be a key witness. Franks joins Ty Garbin in admitting guilt in the scheme to kidnap the Democratic governor.

FBI agents stepped in and arrested the group in October 2020. Garbin pleaded guilty in last year and was sentenced to slightly more than six years in prison.

The government said six men wanted to kidnap Whitmer because of their disgust over COVID-19 restrictions. The plot included outdoor training with firearms in Wisconsin and Michigan and scouting Whitmer’s second home in northern Michigan.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A man charged in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was expected Wednesday to be the second person to admit guilt in the scheme, according to court documents.

Kaleb Franks said he would join Ty Garbin as the second person to admit guilt in a plot to abduct the Democratic governor before FBI agents arrested them in October 2020. The plea would give federal prosecutors another insider who would be a key witness against four other men scheduled to face trial in March.

The government said the group wanted to kidnap Whitmer because of disgust over her COVID-19 restrictions.

Franks signed a document agreeing to plead guilty as charged, admitting he “was not entrapped or induced to commit any crimes” by undercover agents or informants. Garbin pleaded guilty in 2021 and was sentenced to slightly more than six years in prison.

Franks acknowledged in court documents that he was deeply involved in the plot, which included outdoor training with firearms in Wisconsin and Michigan and scouting Whitmer’s second home in northern Michigan.

In August 2020, less than two months before their arrest, Franks said he and a co-defendant “discussed their frustration with people who advocated anti-government action but were unwilling to use force themselves.”

The plea deal suggests Franks, like Garbin, could offer crucial testimony against the remaining defendants at the March 8 trial in Grand Rapids. While there is no agreement on the length of his prison sentence, Franks could be rewarded if he “materially and substantially assists” the government.

Besides Adam Fox, who is described as a ringleader, the remaining defendants are Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.

When the kidnapping case was filed in 2020, it added even more heat to the final weeks of a tumultuous election season.

Whitmer pinned some blame on then-President Donald Trump, saying his refusal to denounce far-right groups had inspired extremists across the country. Trump had earlier urged supporters to “LIBERATE” Michigan and two other states led by Democratic governors from stay-at-home mandates.

The Associated Press