GUILTY: Jury reaches verdict in 3 men tied to Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plot

JACKSON, Mich. (WILX) - A jury has found three men guilty on all charges in connection with the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The jury found that all three men, Joseph Morrison, 28, Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 24, were guilty of all three counts they each faced.

They were accused of providing assistance in the summer of 2020 when a leader of the plot, Adam Fox, drilled with their paramilitary group, the Wolverine Watchmen, at a rural property in Jackson County where Morrison and Musico live.

After the verdict was read, Gov. Whitmer released the following statement:

“Today’s guilty verdicts are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics. Those who seek to sow discord by pursuing violent plots will be held accountable under the law. This trial is another stark reminder that we must take an honest look at the state of our politics. Politically motivated plots, threats, and violence are increasingly common against public officials as well as everyday citizens. They are the logical, disturbing extension of radicalization, hatred, and conspiratorial thinking that festers in America, threatening the foundation of our republic.”

Lawyers for Morrison, Musico, and Bellar had said that the men cut ties with Fox before the kidnapping plot accelerated in the summer of 2020 and Bellar had moved to South Carolina.

Dan Chappel, an Army veteran who said he joined the Wolverine Watchmen to maintain his gun skills but was distressed over talk about attacking police, was a key witness in the case.

The three men claimed they were entrapped by Chappel, who had agreed to remain in the group and become an FBI informant, and his FBI handlers.

“Make no mistake, the quick actions of law enforcement saved lives. We are pleased the jury clearly understood that,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “These defendants believed violence was an appropriate way to address an ideological grievance. Today’s verdict sends a clear message they were wrong. Violence is never the answer, and the FBI remains committed to investigating and holding accountable anyone who seeks to further an ideological cause through violence.”

The trial was separate from the main case handled in federal court, where Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy. Two other men pleaded guilty and two more were acquitted.

Authorities said the goal of the group was to trigger a U.S. civil war, known to extremists as the “boogaloo.” The weapons drills in which the three participated were simply to prepare for “potential civil unrest in the United States,” said Bellar’s lawyer, Andrew Kirkpatrick.

Morrison, who tested positive for COVID-19, and Musico were not in the courtroom. They watched the final arguments via video. Morrison, Bellar, and Musico will be sentenced on December 15 at 9 a.m.

Paul Bellar

• Count 1 - Gang membership, a 20-year felony
  • GUILTY
• Count 2 - Providing material support for an act of terrorism
  • GUILTY
• Count 3 - Weapons, felony firearm
  • GUILTY

Joseph Morrison

• Count 1 - Gang membership, a 20-year felony
  • GUILTY
• Count 2 - Providing material support for an act of terrorism
  • GUILTY
• Count 3 - Weapons, felony firearm
  • GUILTY

Pete Musico

• Count 1 - Gang membership, a 20-year felony
  • GUILTY
• Count 2 - Providing material support for an act of terrorism
  • GUILTY
• Count 3 - Weapons, felony firearm
  • GUILTY

More coverage:

Michigan jury gets case against 3 men tied to Whitmer plot

EXPLAINER: 3 more on trial in Michigan governor kidnap plot

Complete coverage of the Whitmer kidnapping plot trials

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