Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Kidnap Plot Mastermind Sentenced to 16 Years

Four months after being found guilty in a Michigan courtroom, one of the men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In August, Adam Fox was found guilty of conspiring to kidnap a prominent Democrat, Whitmer, and of using a weapon of mass destruction. He could have been put away for life.

According to Al Jazeera, the prosecution claims that Fox and his co-defendant Barry Croft Jr. planned to spark a "second American revolution," but their plans were foiled.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement on Tuesday that the "sentence reflects the Department of Justice's unwavering commitment to protecting our elected officials, law enforcement officers, and dedicated public servants from criminal threats and violence."

Fox's legal team, however, argued for leniency in advance of the hearing by saying that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had "manipulated" Fox into "extremism" by intervening through informants among the conspirators.

Prosecutors say the plot to kidnap was an attempt to sow discord in the months leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Thirteen men, including Fox and Croft, were arrested in October 2020 in connection with the plot.

Attorney Says Mastermind to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Deserves Life Sentence

In August, Adam Fox, 39, was convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and use a weapon of mass destruction to attack her.

Far-right groups had targeted Whitmer because of her work to contain the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

The first trial involving Fox and his co-defendant Croft ended in a mistrial in April, prompting the judge to call for a new problem.

Whether Fox was the plot's "natural leader" and thus deserving of a life sentence was a question raised by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jonker stated that the 192-month sentence was chosen because he did not believe a life sentence was necessary to achieve the crucial public deterrent factors.

Fox was facing a life sentence because of a terrorism enhancement, but Jonker said he had to consider a few factors before giving him that sentence, per NBC News.

Jonker claimed that he relied heavily on the case of Amer Alhaggagi, an Islamic State sympathizer, who U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer gave a sentence of 188 months in prison in Northern California in 2018-19, more than 15 years less than the 33 years requested by prosecutors.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler, Fox was planning to start a global war and thus should be sentenced to life in prison.

Kessler cautioned that when Fox is finally released from prison, he will still threaten society.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Claims Donald Trump Plans the Kidnap

Fox, then 39 years old, was hiding in the basement of a vacuum store in the Grand Rapids area in 2020, where he held secret meetings with paramilitary members and an undercover FBI agent.

His legal representative claimed he was depressed and anxious and smoked marijuana daily.

Fox and Croft allegedly trained with firearms in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2020, met with fellow provocateurs at a summit in Ohio, and rode to "put eyes" on Whitmer's vacation home using night-vision goggles.

Ty Garbin was released early from prison after serving only 2 1/2 years for his role in the conspiracy and testifying against Fox and Croft. Meanwhile, Kaleb Franks received a four-year sentence for his role in the case.

Three men were recently handed lengthy sentences by a state court for aiding Fox in the early 2020 summer and waiting for five more trials in Antrim County, where Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's vacation home is located.

CBS News noted that when the plot was foiled, Democratic Governor Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying that Trump had provided "comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division."

Nineteen months after leaving office in August, Trump declared the kidnap plot a "fake deal."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man gets 16 years in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer - From CBS Evening News