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Man Who Aided Plot To Kidnap Gretchen Whitmer Pleads Guilty

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Kate Anderson Contributor
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Shawn Fix pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he aided in the plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to the Associated Press.

Fix belonged to a militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen, which offered training for “politically motivated violence,” and even hosted a five-hour meeting to plan Whitmer’s kidnapping at his house before FBI agents infiltrated the group in 2020. Fix pleaded guilty to providing material for the purpose of terrorism Wednesday, with prosecutors agreeing to drop a weapons charge, according to the Associated Press. (RELATED: Sheriff Who Suggested Kidnapping Plot Against Gretchen Whitmer Was Citizen’s Arrest Files Lawsuit Over Election Fraud)

Fix also reportedly helped other militia members, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., determine the location of Whitmer’s home in order to carry out the kidnapping, according to the Associated Press. Fix faces up to 20 years in prison for the charges but agreed to testify for the prosecution in other cases regarding the plot.

Adam Fox, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020 on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff's Office police mugshot. Kent County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

Adam Fox, one of thirteen men arrested on October 7, 2020, on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, is seen in a Kent County Sheriff’s Office police mugshot. (Kent County Sheriff’s Office/Handout via REUTERS)

Six men were arrested on federal charges in October just weeks before the 2020 presidential election and Fix was charged with another seven men in Michigan for providing materials to engage in acts of terrorism, as well as firearms charges, according to CNBC. The FBI reported that the men were using “encrypted messaging platforms” and even detonated an “improvised explosive device” to “test its anti-personnel capabilities.”

Croft and Fox were convicted in August 2022 on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and Croft was sentenced several months later to 19 years in prison. Two other alleged co-conspirators were found not guilty in April of 2022 and released, while Brian Higgins, another member of the militia, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years, according to the Associated Press.

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Fix could not be reached for comment.

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