Three men found guilty of participating in a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) were sentenced to prison on Thursday, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: In October, the men — Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar — were convicted of providing material support to a terrorist act, which carries a maximum term of 20 years.
- The federal government charged six men in October 2020 over the plot. Morrison, Musico and Bellar were among seven other men charged by Michigan's attorney general for allegedly helping to plan it.
- Morrison, Musico and Bellar were also found guilty of gun violations and membership in a gang. They had been members of a paramilitary group known as the Wolverine Watchmen.
By the numbers: Musico received a sentence of 12 years in prison. Morrison was given a 10-year sentence, and Bellar got seven years.
The big picture: The FBI started tracking the conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer and violently attack and overthrow the state government in early 2020 through social media platforms and ultimately disbanded it.
- The plot was in part in response to Whitmer's implementation of restrictions meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- Currently, two men could face possible life sentences over the plot, while others received prison sentences of four years and two-and-a-half years. Two men were also acquitted by a jury.
Go deeper: DHS chief warns of "emerging threat of the domestic violent extremist"
