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Daniel Harris, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Adam Fox and Brandon Caserta pleaded not guilty to the indictment during proceedings Thursday. Each of the defendants has been in custody since their arrest in October when the plot was foiled.
Josh Blanchard, a lawyer for Barry Croft, also indicted in the case, said his client had yet to be arraigned but had no further comment.
The indictment alleges that between June 6 and October 7, the men conspired to “seize, kidnap, abduct and take away illegally and detain for ransom and reward” Whitmer, who is a Democrat. Authorities said the men planned to kidnap the governor of a vacation home and blow up a bridge to delay law enforcement, but were arrested first.
The men indicted this week were among a group of more than a dozen individuals who were indicted in the case in October. Eight other people have been charged by the state, seven of whom are associated with the “Wolverine Watchmen” group.
As first reported by The Detroit News, the FBI became aware of the scheme in early 2020 through a social media group, according to the federal criminal complaint.
Court documents indicate that the FBI sent a confidential informant to travel to Dublin, Ohio on June 6 for a meeting with Croft, Fox and about 13 others.
The case highlighted political tensions in Michigan which reached new highs as Whitmer faced backlash for the restrictions she imposed earlier this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Observers pointed to President Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards the governor and his state, including a tweet in which he called on residents to “free” the state from restrictions.
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