A man who pleaded guilty to in 2020 was granted a major break Thursday and sentenced to four years in prison.
Kaleb Franks was rewarded for at two trials. His sentence was longer than the term given to another man who was the but it still carried a significant benefit.
Franks 鈥渕ade the right decision and came clean. That's encouraging,鈥� U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said.
Franks was among six anti-government extremists who were charged in federal court with conspiracy and other crimes. Investigators said the group's goal was to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and incite a U.S. civil war 鈥� the 鈥渂oogaloo鈥� 鈥� before the 2020 presidential election.
鈥淚 would like to start by saying I鈥檓 sorry to the governor and her family,鈥� Franks said in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
鈥淚 understand that this experience had to have been very traumatizing and difficult,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm ashamed and embarrassed of my actions, and I regret every decision that I made.鈥�
The group considered Whitmer, a Democrat, and other elected officials to be tyrants who were infringing on constitutional rights, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when businesses were shut down, people were told to stay home and schools were closed.
Franks, 28, participated in a key step in the conspiracy: a ride on a rainy night to scout Whitmer's vacation home in northern Michigan. She was not there at the time.
He testified that he had hoped to be killed by police if a kidnapping could be pulled off at some point. The FBI, however, had undercover agents and informants inside the group.
鈥淚 was going to be an operator,鈥� Franks said last spring. 鈥淚 would be one of the people on the front line, so to speak, using my gun.鈥�
Prosecutors said Franks' cooperation was important because it backed up critical testimony from Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty a year earlier and .
鈥淚t really was invaluable to have the testimony of an insider," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler told the judge, referring to Franks.
When the hearing began, his sentencing guidelines suggested a minimum prison term of 12 years. But Jonker reduced the range at the government's request and settled on a much lower figure. Franks will get credit for two years in custody.
An email seeking comment was sent to Whitmer's staff. In August, after the convictions of ringleaders , she said the plot was a 鈥渄isturbing extension of radicalized domestic terrorism.鈥� Two other men, .
鈥淭hey didn't just want to kidnap her,鈥� Kessler said in court Thursday. 鈥淭he plot that Mr. Fox and Mr. Croft really wanted to do was to put (Whitmer) on trial, kill her and begin a second civil war. What鈥檚 really frightening about that is just how prevalent those kind of views have become.鈥�
Meanwhile, 120 miles (190 kilometers) away in Jackson, Michigan, a jury heard a second day of testimony in the trial of three members of a paramilitary group who were also arrested in 2020. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar are not charged with directly participating in the plot but are
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White reported from Detroit.
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Ed White, The Associated Press
