Page 26 - bon-dia-aruba-20220314

A26 u.s. news
Dialuna 14 Maart 2022

Snapshots of 4 men charged in Whitmer kidnapping plot

that politicians “should be angry Michigan gym owners ever we do in the future, this
targeted and attacked,” Assis- whose businesses were shut is my personal choice to be
tant U.S. Attorney Jonathan down for months to prevent involved here,’” Roth said.
Roth said. the spread of COVID-19. Defense lawyers pointed out
Fitness centers, he said, were that Harris, 24, and Caserta,
Croft and Fox attended a “essential for a lot of people’s 33, didn’t join the others
meeting of allies in Dublin, mental health.” on the road trip to northern
Ohio, in July 2020. So did Michigan to look at Whit-
an informant who recorded In August 2020, according to mer’s home, a key part of
Croft saying he was so de- the government, Fox scouted the government’s case. But
voted to an antigovernment Whitmer’s cottage for the they participated in firearms
cause, “I might murder a first time and said an attack training sessions, including a
cop.” would be a “nightmare” and “shoot house,” a mock-up of
a “shootout.” Prosecutors Whitmer’s house.
Croft said he was even will- said he wanted to blow up a
ing to slash his cheek in an nearby bridge to stymie po- Attorney Julia Kelly said Har-
effort to fool face-detection lice during an abduction. ris of Lake Orion, Michi-
technology used by law en- gan, “was not perfect in the
forcement. But defense attorney Chris- summer of 2020” but didn’t
topher Gibbons said Fox was agree to kidnap the governor.
“One criminal governor in heavily influenced by an FBI Lawyer Michael Hills said
our possession, we’ve cap- informant known as “Big Caserta participated in train-
tured the flag in that state. We Dan,” who was a member of ing but didn’t organize the
can then start to issue terms,” a militia known as the Wol- “fed-sponsored events.”
Croft said in a video in May verine Watchmen.
2020. Harris’ parents were in court,
Dan “said things like, ‘You taking notes and frequently
Defense attorney Joshua can train for everything but leaning over to whisper to
(AP) — After more than become clear until the end. ... Blanchard said Croft was tar- what’s your goal?’ The goal is Kelly.
two days of testimony, Don’t feel pressure to try to geted by thin-skinned FBI what the government wants,”
jurors have unflattering pull it all together just yet,” agents who simply didn’t like Gibbons told jurors, refer- Croft, Fox, Harris and Caser-
snapshots of four men who U.S. District Judge Robert his disgust of government. ring to entrapment. ta were arrested in October
are charged with planning Jonker told jurors Thursday. 2020 along with two others,
to strike back against gov- Croft, Fox, Daniel Harris and “There was no plan, there Harris and Caserta Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks,
ernment by kidnapping Brandon Caserta are charged was no agreement and no They didn’t come up as much who pleaded guilty to the
Michigan Gov. Gretchen with conspiracy; three of kidnapping,” he said. as Croft and Fox in the first conspiracy and said no one
Whitmer from her week- them also face weapons-re- two days of trial. But Roth was entrapped by agents or
end home. lated charges. Lawyers have Fox said they were considered informants.
signaled an entrapment de- Fox, 38, of Wyoming, Michi- soldiers in Fox’s “kill squad.”
Prosecutors introduced vid- fense, claiming the men were gan, was living in the base- “They will tell you they made
eos, messages and secretly cajoled by undercover FBI ment of a vacuum shop Harris, a former Marine in- their own decisions,” Roth
recorded conversations full agents and zealous, greedy and brushing his teeth next fantryman, suggested killing told the jury. “They will tell
of antigovernment screeds, informants. door at a restaurant. He was Whitmer would be better you the defendants did the
mostly expressed by Barry Trial resumes Monday in tapped by Croft to lead the than kidnapping her, perhaps same.”
Croft Jr. and Adam Fox, who federal court in Grand Rap- plot, Roth said. “posing as a pizza delivery
are described as the leaders. ids, Michigan. Here is some person and shooting her at Whitmer, who is seeking re-
Evidence presented early in of what the jury has heard so Prosecutors portrayed Fox as home,” the prosecutor said. election this year, has blamed
what’s likely to be a week- far: a man committed to violence. then-President Donald
slong trial has bounced from He said in a video that he was Caserta’s home in Canton Trump for fomenting anger
Michigan to gatherings in Croft in favor of a “revolutionary Township, Michigan, was full over coronavirus restrictions
Ohio and Wisconsin and an The 46-year-old trucker war” to get rid of “corrupt, of antigovernment items, and and refusing to condemn
arrest in New Jersey — and from Bear, Delaware, is an tyrannical government.” he talked about crushing the right-wing extremists like
not always in order. adherent of the “boogaloo” governor’s skull, Roth said. those charged in the plot. She
movement, which believes Fox said he wanted to offer said he was complicit in the
“The pattern doesn’t always the country is broken and “constitutional comfort” to “You will hear him say, ’What- deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Video shows man stabbing 2 workers at New York’s MOMA

(AP) — Video from the pears to distract the attacker of disorderly conduct. John stabbed the museum em-
Museum of Modern Art Police were still searching long enough for the second Miller, NYPD deputy com- ployees in the back, collar-
shows the moment a man for Cabana as of Sunday victim to flee. The third em- missioner of intelligence bone and the back of neck,
leaped over a reception morning. ployee can be seen getting up and counterterrorism, said Miller said. They were
desk and stabbed two em- from the ground after the at- his membership had been rushed within minutes to
ployees as they tried to The man, wearing a black tacker runs away. revoked for two separate in- the hospital.
flee Saturday. wool hat and a surgical mask, cidents of disorderly behav-
approaches three employees Authorities said Saturday ior at the museum in recent Miller said Saturday that the
The video released by New who are trapped in the small that the two museum em- days. video showed which way the
York City police shows a space and stabs one of them ployees, a 24-year-old man suspect went after leaving
man police identified as — a young woman who is and 24-year-old woman, A letter informing Cabana the museum. Police shared
60-year-old Gary Cabana able to run away seconds lat- were both stable with non- of his expired membership photos of Cabana late Sat-
entering the museum lobby er — though not before she life-threatening injuries. had been sent out Friday, but urday night, asking for the
through a revolving door is stabbed again in the back. Their names weren’t re- he came to the museum Sat- public’s help finding him.
then climbing onto the desk leased. urday saying he intended to
and jumping over it as a man The attacker then stabs the see a film there, according to The department has no re-
carrying what appears to be a second employee as the man According to police, Cabana police. cord of a previous arrest for
walkie-talkie tries in vain to with the walkie-talkie hurls was denied entrance Satur- the man.
stop him. a notebook at him. That ap- day for previous incidents He then became upset and