A man convicted of playing a key role in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison Wednesday, more than a co-defendant was sentenced to.
Barry Croft Jr., 47, and co-defendant Adam Fox, 39, were convicted in August of conspiracy to commit a kidnapping and use a weapon of mass destruction to attack Whitmer, who drew hatred from far-right groups. for their efforts to slow the spread of Covid in 2020.
Fox was sentenced to 192 months in prison on Tuesday by US District Judge Robert Jonker, setting the stage for Croft’s fate and 235-month sentence.
“I think Mr. Croft is the most serious culprit… even more so than Mr. Fox,” Jonker said. «I think he was the person who gave Mr. Fox something to hold on to.»
Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler said Croft must be gone for an extended period of time to protect the public.
“This man is completely radicalized,” Kessler said. «He hasn’t changed his point of view.»
In April, a jury returned no verdicts against Fox and Croft, forcing a judge to declare a mistrial before a the second trial was decisive.
Whitmer, who won re-election last month, was the focal point of far-right anger in 2020 when he imposed several lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of Covid.
Then-President Donald Trump seemed to endorse that. opposition in a tweet in capital letters.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.