Three men get longest prison sentences to date in Whitmer kidnapping plot

Kara Berg
The Detroit News

Jackson — Three men were sentenced Thursday to serve a minimum of seven to 12 years in prison for charges related to the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, representing the longest sentences to date in the federal and state conspiracy cases.

The three Jackson County sentencings were the first in Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office's cases against the associates of plot ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft, who were convicted in federal court of kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. Two of the three defendants became emotional as they pleaded for mercy and heard their punishments on charges of providing material aid to terrorists, being members of a gang in connection with the kidnapping plot and a gun charge.

Federal prosecutors are seeking life prison sentence for Fox, who is set for sentencing on Dec. 27, and Croft, whose sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 28.

In two plea deals in the federal Whitmer kidnapping cases, Kaleb Franks of Waterford Township got four years in prison, while Ty Garbin of Hartford Township got his initial sentence of 75 months behind bars slashed to 30 months after being a star witness during two federal trials.

The drama of Thursday's sentencings was heightened when Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson allowed prosecutors to play a prerecorded video from Whitmer before the sentencing after defense lawyers unsuccessfully argued that Whitmer was not a victim in the case.

The governor called the conspiracy "a threat to democracy itself" and supplied a letter for consideration as well. She said she now watches what she tells people, scans crowds for possible threats and worries about the safety of herself, her family and security detail.

The jury determined that the three men ― Joseph Morrison, Morrison's father-in-law, Pete Musico, and their acquaintance, Paul Bellar — were early joiners and founders of the Wolverine Watchmen militia, which helped train Fox and Croft for their plot to kidnap Whitmer.

Defendants' sentences and reactions

Musico, 45, received the most severe punishment, getting sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison, with sentences for three charges running consecutively. Sentences in each conviction usually run at the same time, but Musico will have to serve the minimum sentence for each charge of which he was found guilty.

Musico received five to 20 years for gang membership, five to 20 years for providing material support to a terrorist and two years for felony firearm. He cried during his statement to Wilson and as the sentence was read. He called "I love you" to someone in the gallery before he was taken out of the courtroom.

"I had a lapse in judgment," Musico told Wilson, adding he had been married for 26 years. "There were a lot of emotions going on during this time. … I throw myself at the mercy of the court."

Morrison, 28, was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, with sentences for three charges running consecutively. He received four to 20 years for gang membership, four to 20 years for providing material support to a terrorist and two years for felony firearm. Morrison lowered his head as Wilson read his sentence.

Morrison told Wilson he was renouncing and disavowing everything to do with the Boogaloo movement and Wolverine Watchmen.

"I sincerely regret ever allowing myself to have any affiliation with people who had those kinds of ideas, especially Mr. Fox, who I believe is a danger to society," Morrison said. "I regret I ever let hate, fear and anger into my heart the way I did. … If I could, your honor, I'd take it all back."

Bellar, 24, was sentenced to seven to 20 years in prison. He received five to 20 years for gang membership and four to 20 years for providing material support to a terrorist. These two sentences will run concurrently. A two-year sentence for felony firearm will run consecutively to the other two.

"I apologize for the highly inappropriate comments I made in the past. They do not represent the man I am today," Bellar said. "I was caught up highly in the moment. I felt I had lost a lot of camaraderie after being discharged by the army."

He apologized to the governor for the "stupid comments" he made and teared up as he left the courtroom.

Prosecutors prepare to play a video statement from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during sentencing in front of Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson on Thursday in Jackson.

What Whitmer said

Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani asked the judge for the consecutive sentences, which is unusual but allowed with the gang membership conviction. A felony firearm conviction always runs consecutive. She said she did not ask for the treatment lightly, but that concurrent sentencing that allows punishment for separate charges to be served at the same time is not appropriate in these cases.

"I don't think any of these defendants are going to change their anti-government mentality. It’s who they are, it's their core identity," Doddamani said. "Incarceration by the government for crimes they didn't even think they committed was probably their worst nightmare."

Whitmer provided a letter Thursday in addition to the video prosecutors played in the courtroom. All three defense attorneys argued Whitmer’s statement should not be allowed because she was not a victim in the case, but Wilson let prosecutors play the video.

"These three defendants are free to disagree, vote or campaign against me. Instead, they took a different path. They supported a violent conspiracy," Whitmer said. "A conspiracy to kidnap and kill a sitting governor of the state of Michigan is a threat to democracy itself."

She said since the plot came out, she now scans crowds for threats, thinks carefully about the last thing she says to someone before parting and worries about her loved ones, staff members and police officers on her security detail getting hurt.

The FBI stopped the plot before any violence occurred by infiltrating the militia and using confidential informants and undercover officers to build their case, officials said.

Nessel released a statement after the sentencing.

"The defendants' ultimate goals were to kill police and elected officials and kidnap the Governor of Michigan. These extraordinarily violent ends, coupled with the unequivocal conviction from the jury, demand the maximum sentence," Nessel said.

"Appropriate consequences for illegal acts are necessary to deter criminal behavior. Law enforcement officers that put their lives on the line to protect our residents and communities, and those elected as part of our representative government, deserve to know those who threaten their safety will face the full penalty of the law."

One state case remains for five people in Antrim County accused of providing material support for terrorists and running surveillance on Whitmer’s cottage in Elk Rapids. 86th District Judge Michael Stepka bound the cases over to circuit court to stand trial.

Seven people have now been convicted on state or federal charges related to the kidnapping plot. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, co-defendants of Fox and Croft, were acquitted. An eighth individual, FBI informant Stephen Robeson, was convicted of a federal gun crime.

kberg@detroitnews.com