A federal grand jury acquitted two men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and was unable to reach a verdict in the cases against two others.
Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were found not guilty, while U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker declared a mistrial in the cases of Adam Fox and Barry Croft.
Two other men previously pleaded guilty to charges they were involved in the plot to kidnap Whitmer and hold her for ransom in retaliation for the strict COVID-19 restrictions she put in place.
The men's defense argued that they never had any serious plans to kidnap Whitmer and mainly were just talking big while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. They claimed they were entrapped, accusing undercover FBI agents of being the driving force that directed the planning of the plot.
Eight other men are currently facing state charges relating to the plot to kidnap Whitmer. Most of the men were members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia and trained in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Two undercover FBI agents infiltrated the group, and a dozen informants provided them with information, including copies in encrypted text messages and videos of training sessions and planning meetings.