Wolverine Watchmen members tied to Whitmer kidnapping plot found guilty on all charges

(FOX 2) - The three men accused of providing support to figures involved in the plot to kidnap the Michigan governor have been found guilty by a jury.

The jurors returned the verdict deliberated for a day before convicting Joe Morrison, Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar of providing material support for a terrorist act, gang membership felonies, and felony firearm. The men are part of the paramilitary group the Wolverine Watchmen.

The spinoff trial is connected to a federal case that involved four men charged with conspiracy to kidnap. Two men were acquitted and two others were convicted during a second trial.

The trial was held in Jackson, Michigan in the 4th Circuit Court in front of Judge Thomas Wilson.

After both sides rested their case, the jury began deliberations Tuesday and returned Wednesday. A sentencing date is set for Dec. 15.

In a statement, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the guilty verdicts were "further proof" that violence has no place in politics.

"This trial is another stark reminder that we must take an honest look at the state of our politics. Politically motivated plots, threats, and violence are increasingly common against public officials as well as everyday citizens. They are the logical, disturbing extension of radicalization, hatred, and conspiratorial thinking that festers in America, threatening the foundation of our republic."

Paul Bellar, Joe Morrison, and Pete Musico

Authorities said the goal was to trigger a U.S. civil war, known to extremists as the "boogaloo."

"I don’t care who you voted for," state Assistant Attorney General Bill Rollstin told the jury. "But to target our governor would be an incredibly destabilizing event in our state. What they had planned would have rocked this nation."

Whitmer, a Democrat running for reelection on Nov. 8, was never physically harmed. Undercover FBI agents and informants were inside the group for months. The scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.

Jury announces verdict in case against three militia members.

Defense lawyers conceded that Morrison, Musico and Bellar expressed violent, profane opinions about Whitmer, police and government. But they argued that free speech is not a crime. They also emphasized that the three were on the sideline when the kidnapping scheme shifted to northern Michigan.

MORE: Juror dismissed from Whitmer kidnap plot trial after accusations of flirting

Bellar’s attorney, Andrew Kirkpatrick, said the trio’s connection to Fox was insignificant. He urged the jury to focus on the words "material support" in the main charge.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.