Federal prosecutor in alleged Whitmer kidnap case leaves legal team, after acquittals, mistrials

A lead prosecutor in the case alleging four Michigan men plotted to kidnap Democrat Gov. Grethen Whitmer is leaving the legal team – days after two of the defendants were acquitted and a mistrial was declared for two others.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth informed the court Tuesday in a legal filing, according to local ABC-TV affiliate WZZM. 

He and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to provide a reason.

On April 8, a jury in Michigan announced that they had found Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta not guilty, but they could not reach a verdict for Adam Fox or Barry Croft Jr., resulting in the mistrial. 

Federal prosecutors indicated they were interested in a second trial for Fox and Croft but have yet to file a notice with the court.

Prosecutors said the defendants wanted to kidnap Whitmer because they were angry over what they considered her overreaching pandemic health and safety mandates. 

Defense lawyers argued informants and undercover agents improperly influenced the men. 

Federal prosecutors in turn provided evidence that the men discussed abducting Whitmer before the FBI sting and in fact had scouted Whitmer's summer home and tested explosives, according to Fox News.

Another man was sentenced prior to the four defendants' trial to just over six years in prison after admitting to involvement in the plot. He is among six men who was charged in federal court but the only one to plead guilty so far, also according to Fox News.