Daniel Harris, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Adam Fox and Brandon Caserta pleaded not guilty to the charges on Thursday. Each of the defendants has been in custody since they were arrested in October when the plot was foiled.
Josh Blanchard, a Barry Croft attorney who was also charged in the case, said his client had not yet been charged but had no further comment.
The indictment alleges that between June 6 and October 7, the men conspired to “unlawfully seize, kidnap, kidnap, carry away, and hold Whitmer, who is a Democrat, for ransom and reward.” Authorities have said the men planned to kidnap the governor from a vacation home and blow up a bridge to slow law enforcement, but they were arrested first.
The men indicted this week belonged to a group of more than a dozen individuals charged in the case in October. Another eight people were charged by the state, seven of whom are associated with the group “Wolverine Watchmen”.
As first reported by The Detroit News, the FBI became aware of the scheme through a social media group in early 2020, according to the federal criminal complaint.
According to court documents, the FBI has scheduled a confidential informant to travel to Dublin, Ohio on June 6 to meet with Croft, Fox and about 13 others.
The case has underscored political tensions in Michigan that reached new heights as Whitmer faced backlash for restrictions imposed earlier this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Observers have pointed to President Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards the governor and her state, including a tweet calling on residents to “liberate” the state from its restrictions.