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Two men Guilty of attempting to kidnap Governor Whitmer

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A federal jury has convicted two men of conspiring to kidnap governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.

This is the second time federal prosecutors tried to convict Adam Fox and Barry Croft on the kidnapping charges.

A previous jury couldn’t reach an agreement in April, and found two other men not guilty.

Defense attorneys argued the men were entrapped by the FBI’s team of undercover informants and agents, who they say were the real leaders of the plot.

But in the second trial, jurors didn’t buy that, and convicted both fox and Croft on all counts. They face up to life in prison.

Two other men already pleaded guilty in the case. Eight others are still awaiting trial in Michigan state courts.

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