FBI agent testifies against defendants in final Whitmer kidnapping trial

BELLAIRE — An FBI agent took the stand on Friday as the final trial involving the prosecution of conspirators in the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer began this week.

The trial started with the state’s prosecuting attorney laying the framework for the three remaining defendants' alleged actions in the kidnapping scheme.

The men being prosecuted are Eric Molitor, 39, of Cadillac and twins Michael and William Null, 41, of Plainwell and Shelbyville. With the supporting testimony of FBI Special Agent Henrik “Hank” Impola, the state is prosecuting the three men for participating in a plot to kidnap Whitmer. Charges for the group, including 14 men, were first announced in October 2020.

The final three defendants are officially being charged in Antrim County’s 13th Circuit Court with providing material support for a terrorist attack and possession of a felony firearm.

In December 2022, the group's ringleader Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison and Barry Croft Jr. was sentenced to more than 19 years. In October, three men were found guilty of assisting Fox in Jackson County and sentenced to prison terms of seven, 10 and 12 years. Two men have been acquitted.

Co-conspirators Shawn Fix and Brian Higgins, who were also being prosecuted in Antrim County, took deals from the state earlier in the year.

More: Final trial in Whitmer kidnapping plot underway in Antrim County

During the first days of trial for the Null brothers and Molitor, much of the initial testimony from Impola was used to set the stage for the actions of the defendants.

Impola testified for hours, detailing the infiltration of a group of men under investigation in 2020 and their increasingly concerning behavior. According to Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin, this group was working towards a nationwide civil war.

During his testimony, Impola provided details on a confidential human source given the name of “Undercover Dan” who helped to infiltrate the defendants. “Dan” was a veteran and postal worker turned FBI informant after he joined the Wolverine Watchmen group on Facebook. He alerted police after becoming concerned with their extreme rhetoric. The prosecution characterized Dan as “the eyes and ears of the investigation at the beginning.”

Facebook messages, video calls and group chat threads were presented as evidence to highlight the increasingly zealous behavior of the individuals involved. Numerous exhibits were displayed with anti-government rhetoric from Fox and Croft. One photograph that was presented in court showed a bullet with the word "recalled" written on it.

Impola testified that the political violence being proposed by the group increased to the point of being a threat to national security.

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According to Impola’s testimony, the level of danger was escalating because, "you have multiple groups coming together. They are providing their members of the team, their additional fire power and they are emboldening each other and they are refining their plans as they move forward with what they think they can achieve."

At the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 25, the prosecution sought to connect the defendants with the sentiments of the ringleaders being expressed on social media and in texts and chats.

The trial will continue at 9 a.m. in the Antrim County Circuit Court on Monday, Aug. 28. The trial is expected to last for nearly two weeks.

— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: FBI agent testifies against defendants in final Whitmer kidnapping trial