By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Grand Rapids, Mich. – A federal jury in Grand Rapids on Friday acquitted two men in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including Orion Township resident Daniel Harris.

Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta, 34, of Canton, and Harris, 24, were found not guilty of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, a potential life offense.

The jury was hung on conspiracy charges against Barry Croft Jr., 46, of Bear, Delaware, and Adam Fox, 38, of Wyoming.

Harris and Caserta were additionally found not guilty on additional weapons charges and were to be released from detention after the verdict.

Croft and Harris were charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device, while Harris was charged with possession of an unregistered short-barrel firearm, both crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office could retry Fox and Croft, who remain jailed, on their unresolved counts.

The verdict came after almost four weeks of testimony and a week of deliberations in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. Two others took plea deals and testified against the four remaining federal defendants. Eight others face state charges.

Federal prosecutors said the defendants began plotting the governor’s kidnapping in spring 2020 after she issued stay-at-home orders as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

Harris was the only defendant to take the stand in the case and came off as an angry hot head during his testimony about an undercover informant, Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press reported.

“He’s a b—-,” Harris said of the informant who spied on him while pretending to be his friend, according to the Free Press. “He got scared by memes. You went to Iraq, came out hurt, but words hurt you? Words scare you? You’re a b—-. Words are words.”

JoAnne Huls, Chief of Staff to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, issued a statement in response to the outcome in the trial.

“Today, Michiganders and Americans—especially our children—are living through the normalization of political violence. The plot to kidnap and kill a governor may seem like an anomaly. But we must be honest about what it really is: the result of violent, divisive rhetoric that is all too common across our country. There must be accountability and consequences for those who commit heinous crimes. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened.

“The governor remains focused on her work on behalf of Michigan and all Michiganders. That includes addressing violence and threats to our democracy. We appreciate the prosecutors and law enforcement officers for their work on this case,” Huls said.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II issued a statement in response to the trial’s outcome.

“Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a fierce leader and a dear friend,” Gilchrist said. “Today’s outcome is disappointing. But it cannot and will not prevent us from standing tall for Michigan. When we took our oaths of office, we committed to serving Michiganders, and while violent extremists try to scare us and prevent us from doing our jobs, we will keep that commitment. We will keep working hard and living up to the oath we took.

“Our differences must be settled at the ballot box, not through violence. We need to be honest and clear about what causes violence by extremists and do all we can to address the root cause of it. Elected officials, parents, teachers, faith leaders, all of us have a duty to stand up to these hateful actions and teach our kids that there is a better way.

Oct. 2020 – arrest and the case against the alleged conspirators

Harris, along with Michigan residents Adam Fox of Grand Rapids, Ty Garbin of Hartland Township, Kaleb Franks of Waterford, Brandon Caserta of Canton, and Barry Croft, a resident of Delaware, were taken into custody on Oct. 7.

The FBI announced the major investigation and arrests on Oct. 8.

The federal complaint charges Fox, Croft, Garbin, Franks, Harris and Caserta with conspiring to kidnap the governor of Michigan from her vacation home prior to the November election, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge said.

Harris was booked into the Kent County Jail in Grand Rapids after his arrest.

The investigation relied upon information and recordings from confidential informants and undercover law enforcement, according to the FBI criminal complaint.

Members of the group had talked about storming the state Capitol building and taking hostages; kidnapping Gov. Whitmer at her official or personal vacation residences; and taking her to a remote location in Wisconsin to “stand trial” for treason, according to the FBI complaint.

Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Orion Township substation assisted the FBI when agents executed a search warrant at a home on Beach Drive in Orion Township, a quiet street along the west side of Tommy’s Lake.

Lt. Dan Toth, former commander OCSO Orion Township substation, said the search warrant was issued about 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 7.

“It was a very controlled and well-managed police operation,” Toth said, adding that Harris was not at the home at the time of the search and was taken into custody in another community. “It took several hours for the scene to be processed.”