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Jury selection set to begin in Whitmer kidnap plot case

A federal grand jury has charged six men with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The suspects are (from top left) Kaleb Franks, Brandon Caserta and Adam Fox, and (from bottom left) Daniel Harris, Barry Croft and Ty Garbin.
Kent County, Mich., Sheriff via AP
A federal grand jury has charged six men with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The suspects are (from top left) Kaleb Franks, Brandon Caserta and Adam Fox, and (from bottom left) Daniel Harris, Barry Croft and Ty Garbin.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the federal trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap governor Gretchen Whitmer.

A total of 14 men were arrested for the alleged plot. Eight of them were charged in state courts.

And of the six men originally charged in federal court, two have already pleaded guilty, and are expected to testify against the rest.

Defense attorneys have been arguing that the men were entrapped by FBI agents and informants.

But prosecutors say they have plenty of evidence to show the men’s guilt, through secret recordings of their conversations, screen shots of group texts, and the testimony of the two who flipped.

The trial is expected to take weeks. If convicted, the men could face life in prison.

Dustin Dwyer reports enterprise and long-form stories from Michigan Public's West Michigan bureau.