"Can there be any stronger evidence that, Adam Fox and others invited to these federal fun house meetings, they never joined a conspiracy, it amounted to nothing." "Actions speak louder than words," Gibbons said Monday. He read a text message sent FBI Special Agent Jayson Chambers to Chappel, saying, "Look at you, putting people together". "The FBI turned up the heat in early June, by putting various big talkers together at meetings, including Adam Fox," Gibbons said. "By end of May 2020, the FBI and Dan found no evidence among the Watchmen of any crimes or conspiracy to interrupt."ĭefense attorneys have argued that undercover informants Big Dan Chappel, Steve Robeson, Jenny Plunk, and undercover FBI agents Mark Schweers and Timothy Bates, did what they could to make it appear that Fox and Croft were plotting a kidnap. "Big Dan surveilled and interacted with Facebook big talkers for several months starting in March of 2020," Fox's attorney, Chris Gibbons, began. "They started out with all kinds of plans, and abandoned the ones that weren't feasible."
“This is not protected speech, this was planning for a crime," Kessler said. It has previously been claimed in court that Chappel found the group while scrolling through Facebook, clicking on a 'suggested group' that popped up, and joining the Wolverine Watchmen there. He also claimed that Fox recruited Dan Chappel to the group, not the other way around. He said that the government introduced undercover FBI agent Timothy Bates, known to the group as 'Red', so "at least they can keep them from exploding something." Kessler read a text message Fox allegedly sent to undercover informant Dan Chappel, which said, "OK, add these to equipment list: flash bangs, a hood for our asset, and I have flex cuffs". The defense says that it was undercover informants and undercover FBI agents that were the ones trying to push the group towards criminal activity. Kessler says Fox was actively recruiting people in Michigan for the alleged plot.
"If we get her in custody, treason is a hanging offense," Croft is heard in a secret recording from a diner in Cambria, Wisconsin. Croft was living in Bear Delaware with his three daughters, and girlfriend of over a decade, Chasity Knight. He says Croft choose to focus his efforts on Michigan because that is where Adam Fox was located. He said Croft wrote on his Facebook page, "Which governor is going to be dragged off and tried for treason?".Ĭroft was inspired by Timothy McVeigh, Waco, and Ruby Ridge, Kessler claimed. Kessler claimed that Croft "didn’t just want to kidnap (Governor Whitmer), he wanted to have his own trial, and execute her". The government made their case first thing Monday morning, after Judge Robert Jonker briefly went over jury instructions Friday afternoon. "You can’t kidnap, and you certainly can’t make bombs to injure and kill people." "There are a lot of things in this case that are complicated, but one thing is simple, kidnapping is wrong," assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler said Monday morning. A jury spent just over 4 days time deliberating the case. Their co-defendants, Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris, were acquitted on all charges in the first trial. Croft is also looking at a charge of possession of a "dangerous device".
#FOX NEWS NEWSBAR TEMPLATE TRIAL#
Closing arguments got underway first thing Monday morning in the retrial of the two men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.Īdam Fox and Barry Croft are facing a jury for the second time after a jury in their first trial failed to return a verdict on any of the charges against them.īoth men are facing charges of conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
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