A Wisconsin man is the 8th person facing a criminal charge in Michigan of aiding in a terrorist plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
A Michigan State Police and FBI affidavit says 51-year-old Brian Higgins helped with surveillance and digital recording of Governor Whitmer’s northern Michigan vacation hope.
The State Police and the FBI say Higgins is part of the “Wolverine Watchmen,” described in the affidavit as an “anti-government, anti-law enforcement militia group.”
The group was allegedly planning to kidnap Whitmer and move her to remote area to put her on trial for treason over her COVID-19 executive orders. The group also discussed plans to storm the state Capitol and to track law enforcement officers.
“These were very credible and very serious threats to our elected officials and the public in general, and the swift actions taken by state and federal authorities this past week are nothing short of heroic,” Nessel said in the statement announcing the charge.
The charge of material support of a terrorist plot carries of a potential penalty of 20 years in prison.
An FBI agent also testified some of the men were also part of a group that was plotting to kidnap Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
One other suspect is still awaiting extradition from South Carolina.