This image provided by the Kent County, Mich., Jail. shows Adam Fox.
Kent County Jail via AP
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Delaware man to 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — opting against the prosecution’s bid for life behind bars.
Adam Fox was convicted in August of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and to use a weapon of mass destruction to attack Whitmer, who had drawn the ire of far-right groups for her efforts to curb the spread of Covid in 2020.
Jurors in April failed to come to verdicts against Fox and co-defendant Barry Croft, forcing a judge to declare a mistrial before a second trial proved decisive.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker questioned whether Fox was a true “natural leader” of the plot, worthy of a life sentence.
“I don’t think life is needed to achieve the important public deterrent factors,” Jonker said, explaining the 192-month sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler had said Fox was out to spark an all-out war and needed to be put away for life.
“They wanted a second Civil War or a revolution,” Kessler told the court on Tuesday. “They wanted to ruin everything for everybody.”
The plot was hatched in response to Whitmer’s actions during the start of the pandemic in 2020 when she ordered various lockdowns aimed at curbing the spread of Covid.
Far-right groups blasted Whitmer, and then-President Donald Trump appeared to back that opposition in an all-caps tweet.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
