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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 29 december 2022
Judge orders another long prison term in Gov. Whitmer plot

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and idea.” Croft regularly wore
COREY WILLIAMS the type of tricorn hat com-
Associated Press/Report for mon during the American
America Revolution and had tattoos
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) on his arms symbolizing
— A Delaware trucker de- resistance — “Expect Us”
scribed as an architect of — as he traveled to Ohio,
the conspiracy to kidnap Wisconsin and Michigan to
Michigan’s governor was meet with like-minded ex-
sentenced Wednesday to tremists.
more than 19 years in pris- A different jury in Grand
on — the longest term yet Rapids couldn’t reach a
given to anyone convicted verdict on the pair at the
in the plot. first trial last spring but ac-
Prosecutors had sought quitted two other men.
a life sentence for Barry The abduction was meant
Croft Jr., 47, who was the to be the beginning of a
fourth and final federal de- “reign of terror,” Kessler
fendant to learn his fate. said in court documents.
Judge Robert J. Jonker de- Croft’s plan called for riots,
scribed him as “the idea “torching” government of-
guy” behind the plot and ficials in their sleep and
called him “a very con- setting off violence across
vincing communicator” for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media after signing the final piece of a $76 billion the country. A key piece
people who were open to state budget into law, July 20, 2022, in Detroit. of evidence: Croft, Fox
his views. Associated Press and others traveled to see
“However twisted or irratio- Whitmer’s vacation home
nal it may seem to many Fox, 39, was sentenced ownership. Kessler called Croft the in northern Michigan, with
of us, it did resonate to the Tuesday to 16 years behind Whitmer was not physi- “spiritual leader” of the undercover agents and in-
targeted audience,” the bars. The government also cally harmed. The FBI was group of conspirators, formants inside the cabal.
judge said. “That is as im- sought a life sentence for secretly embedded in the comparing his role to that At one point, Croft told al-
portant a method of lead- him. Both men were ac- group and made 14 arrests. of “some sheikh in ISIS.” lies: “I don’t like seeing any-
ership as being out in the cused of hatching a stun- “We’re talking about a “He essentially was putting body get killed either.
field telling people where ning plot to abduct Gov. conspiracy to physically himself as a role of a proph- But you don’t make an
to go.” Defense attorney Gretchen Whitmer from her kidnap the governor, po- et ... there are people who omelet without breaking a
Joshua Blanchard said he vacation home just before tentially assassinate her as believe this sort of rhetoric, few eggs, you know what I
would appeal the sen- the 2020 presidential elec- well. It doesn’t get much and he used it,” Kessler told mean?”
tence. tion. The conspirators were more serious than that,” the judge. Croft’s attorney tried to
Croft and Adam Fox were furious over tough COV- Jonker said before an- “This man is fully radical- soften his client’s role. In a
convicted in August of ID-19 restrictions that Whit- nouncing Croft’s sentence. ized. He hasn’t changed court filing, Blanchard said
conspiracy charges in mer and officials in other “The group had a lot of his viewpoint,” Kessler add- his client did not actually
Grand Rapids. Croft also states had put in place guns. This group had all ed. “He’s not admitting the have authority over others
was found guilty of possess- during the early months of kinds of material ready to ideas are wrong because and often frustrated them
ing an unregistered explo- the pandemic, as well as go to achieve their end.” he still holds them. This because he “just kept talk-
sive. perceived threats to gun Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils whole thing was Mr. Croft’s ing.” q

Paul Pelosi attack: Suspect enters not-guilty plea

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The beat her 82-year-old hus- tempted murder, prosecu- serious injuries to his right Pape has also pleaded not
man who allegedly broke band in October pleaded tors said. arm and hands. He has guilty is also ongoing.
into U.S. House Speaker not guilty Wednesday to The suspect, David De- since appeared in public He is charged in state court
Nancy Pelosi’s home and six charges, including at- Pape, had planned to kid- wearing a hat and a glove with attempted murder,
nap the speaker who was that covered his wounds. first-degree residential bur-
in Washington at the time Earlier this month, a judge glary, elder abuse, assault
of the attack when he ruled that prosecutors had with a deadly weapon,
broke into the couple’s San presented enough evi- false imprisonment and
Francisco home on Oct. 28, dence during a preliminary threatening a family mem-
authorities said. Instead, hearing to move forward. ber of a public official.
the 42-year-old defendant Wednesday’s appearance During the preliminary
severely beat her husband was another arraignment, hearing earlier this month,
Paul Pelosi with a hammer a procedural move where a San Francisco police in-
in an attack that was wit- the defendant enters a vestigator testified that De-
nessed by two police offi- plea on the charges that Pape said there was “evil in
cers and shocked the po- will be brought to trial. Washington,” and he was
litical world. DePape is still being held looking to harm Nancy Pe-
Paul Pelosi was knocked without bail; his state case losi because she is second
unconscious and woke up returns to court Feb. 23. The in line for the presidency.
in a pool of his own blood. public defender’s office Authorities have said De-
David DePape is shown in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2013.
Associated Press He later underwent surgery declined to comment. A Pape was drawn to con-
to repair a skull fracture and federal case in which De- spiracy theories.q