CNN
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A federal judge in Michigan sentenced a man convicted of the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to 16 years in prison on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Adam Fox was the leader of a plot to kidnap the Democratic governor from his summer home in 2020.
A jury found Fox and an accomplice in August guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.
“We need the public to understand the costs of this kind of misconduct, and we need a tangible deterrent. It’s the emotional baggage the governor has to carry, she wrote in her report, “Jail Tuesday.”
“More than that, not only will our own governors influence their willingness and enthusiasm to continue in office, but they will undoubtedly influence others who are in office or are considering it. increase.”
Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Fox to life in prison.
Prosecutor Nils Kessler told the court on Tuesday: “It’s safe to say that none of this would have happened had Mr Fox not been involved.”
Jonker said in court that he did not need to be sentenced to life in prison to act as a deterrent to potential violence against public officials.
“By advising that life imprisonment applies here, we send a clear message to Fox about how serious sentences are justified. “There is no need to worry about the safety of your family or your family. When elected leaders have to live in fear, representative governments suffer,” prosecutors said in the judgment memo.
Fox’s attorney, Christopher Gibbons, told the judge on Tuesday that the prosecution “overstated the reality of the alleged conduct and what was actually accomplished by Adam Fox in the summer of 2020.” said.
Fox refused to speak on his behalf at the sentencing hearing. “He’s happy with what his lawyer said,” Fox told the judge.
In the sentencing memo, Gibbons asked the court to sentence Foxx to approximately four to six years in prison. What he said is consistent with the prison sentences handed down to co-defendants who pleaded guilty before trial and had their sentences reduced for collaborating with Fox. others.
Defense attorneys have consistently maintained a snared defense, alleging that the FBI coerced the defendants into pursuing a conspiracy through a series of undercover agents and classified informants.
But prosecutors defeated that allegation in court, noting that Fox had expressed no remorse. It will continue to be dangerous for us,” Kessler said.
Jonker recommended evaluation and treatment for Fox’s substance abuse and mental health.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel hailed the sentencing decision as “a clear message that domestic terrorism is unacceptable.”
“Adam Fox’s actions threatened the safety of all Michigan residents. I am deeply grateful to the people of ,” Nessel said on Tuesday.
Another person involved in the conspiracy, Barry Croft, is due to be sentenced on Wednesday. the prosecutor said at the trial.
Additionally, earlier this month, three other men involved in the conspiracy, Pete Mujiko, Joseph Morrison, and Paul Beller, were all accused of joining gangs, supporting terrorist acts, and carrying firearms while committing felonies. or convicted of possession. According to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Musico and Bellar must serve a minimum of 12 and 7 years respectively. The alleged “commander” of the group, Morrison, who is nicknamed “Boogaloo Bunyan” online, faces a minimum of 11 years in prison, according to an affidavit filed with the Attorney General’s Office.
This story has been updated with additional details.