GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Attorney Christopher Gibbons, representing one of two men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said Thursday, Aug. 18, he believed the defense had shown that FBI agents and informants pushed the alleged scheme.
He said that FBI special agent Jayson Chambers and FBI informant Dan Chappel arranged for a drive to Elk Rapids to surveil Whitmer’s summer home in Elk Rapids.
He said testimony showed his client wasn’t leader a leader of the plot as federal prosecutors say.
“It kind of shows who’s in charge and who’s running the program,” Gibbons said. “Certainly, it’s not Adam Fox making those decisions. … They drove the truck, and unfortunately for my client, as hapless as he is, he happened to be the one bouncing in the passenger seat.”
He doubted his client would testify.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nils Kessler and Christopher O’Connor rested the prosecution’s case Thursday.
U.S District Judge Robert Jonker told jurors he expected defense witnesses to finish Friday.
Closing arguments are expected Monday, followed by deliberations.
Fox, 38, of Wyoming, Michigan, and Croft, 46, of Bear, Delaware, are being retried after a jury in April failed to reach verdicts in their cases. Two co-defendants were acquitted.
Prosecutors reject any notion that the defendants were entrapped as Gibbons and Croft’s attorney Josh Blanchard say.
The prosecution said that hours and hours of audio and video recordings, encrypted text messages and testimony of two former co-defendants, convicted of kidnap conspiracy, implicate the two on trial.
The FBI, with a dozen informants, infiltrated group chats, meetings and field-training exercises before 14 men were arrested in October 2020.
FBI special agent Tim Bates, who posed “Red,” with access to explosives, said the defendants were excited about obtaining bombs. They talked about blowing up a bridge near the governor’s house to slow police response to the planned kidnapping, Bates testified Thursday.
Croft and Fox are charged with kidnap conspiracy and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. The judge rejected defense motions for directed verdicts of acquittal.
Related:
Prosecutor rests in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case after undercover FBI agent recalls secret trip to her house
Lawyers object to limit on cross examination in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case
Kidnapping Gov. Whitmer was ‘all they talked about,’ former co-defendant testifies
Man in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to ‘hang her on TV,’ witness says
Alleged leader of Gov. Whitmer kidnap case excited driving past her home, recording shows
FBI says defendants in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case posed threat; defense raises concern about juror
Suspect in secret recording played at trial suggested killing Gov. Whitmer’s security detail
Defendant in Gov. Whitmer kidnap case wanted to ‘build an army,’ jury told
Defendants in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer were ‘big talkers,’ had no plan, attorneys tell jurors
Retrial of 2 suspects in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer ready to begin
Defense attorney says Gov. Whitmer was ‘never in any real danger’
Gov. Whitmer says details ‘jarring’ from trial of men charged with conspiring to kidnap her
Man in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer denies involvement, tells jurors informant pushed the idea
FBI pushed ‘hapless’ client into Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney says & Latest News Update
FBI pushed ‘hapless’ client into Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney says & More Live News
All this news that I have made and shared for you people, you will like it very much and in it we keep bringing topics for you people like every time so that you keep getting news information like trending topics and you It is our goal to be able to get
all kinds of news without going through us so that we can reach you the latest and best news for free so that you can move ahead further by getting the information of that news together with you. Later on, we will continue
to give information about more today world news update types of latest news through posts on our website so that you always keep moving forward in that news and whatever kind of information will be there, it will definitely be conveyed to you people.
FBI pushed ‘hapless’ client into Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot, attorney says & More News Today
All this news that I have brought up to you or will be the most different and best news that you people are not going to get anywhere, along with the information Trending News, Breaking News, Health News, Science News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Technology News, Business News, World News of this made available to all of you so that you are always connected with the news, stay ahead in the matter and keep getting today news all types of news for free till today so that you can get the news by getting it. Always take two steps forward
Credit Goes To News Website – This Original Content Owner News Website . This Is Not My Content So If You Want To Read Original Content You Can Follow Below Links