Barry Croft Jr., 47, was sentenced on Wednesday to nearly 20 years in prison for his mastermind role in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler compared Croft with the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the spiritual leader of the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993.
“This man is thoroughly radicalized,” Kessler said, “and he hasn’t changed his viewpoint.”
Moreover, Kessler continued, “He’s the spiritual leader of this group, of this movement, that same way some sheik in ISIS or Al Qaeda might be.” In his estimation, Croft was the brains behind the plot. His co-defendant, Adam Fox, 39, was sentenced to 16 years by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker.
“I do [think] of Mr. Croft as the more seriously culpable…and was the person who gave Mr. Fox something to grab on to.”
This was the second trial for the two defendants after a jury failed to reach a verdict, forcing Judge Jonker to call a mistrial.
Both men were convicted in August of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and to use a weapon of mass destruction to attack the governor. She was targeted by far-right groups for efforts to halt the spread of the virus in 2020.
Whitmer was successful in her re-election campaign last month but the contempt from her enemies may increase with the imprisonment of its leader. Several others involved in the plot pleaded guilty to conspiracy and cooperated with investigations. Others face state charges and are awaiting trials.
