Two men accused of hatching a plot to kidnap and harm Michigan's governor are walking away free.
A jury in Grand Rapids found Daniel Harris not guilty on all four counts he faced, along with Brandon Cresta on one count of kidnap conspiracy, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The jury, however, was deadlocked on charges against the other two defendants, Barry Croft and Adam Fox. Under Michigan law, a mistrial was declared for the latter two men, meaning they will get a new trial.
The four men were accused of plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, either at the governor's mansion in Lansing or at her summer home in northern Michigan, because they were upset over mandates put in place to control the spread of COVID-19. Prosecutors said the group planned to kidnap Whitmer, tie her up, and put her on trial for war crimes. They also were alleged to have plotted to blow up a bridge near Whitmer's summer home to stall law enforcement.
The prosecution also told jurors about evidence showing the men had cased both of Whitmer's homes, had drawn detailed maps of the area surrounding the vacation property, and that militia training had taken place on property owned by one of the defendants, not far from the governor's retreat.
The defence argued that the trial was only taking place because of the word of overzealous FBI informants and accused the FBI of entrapping the men. The defence also argued that the men were only upset and blowing off steam, and had no intention to harm the governor.
The alleged plot was exposed following an October 2020 raid on a warehouse near Ypsilanti, according to the Free Press.
A total of 14 people had faced various charges in the case at one point. Two of them, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, had pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution.
