In Michigan's Whitmer plot case, FBI agent describes Operation Coldsnap

TRAVERSE CITY — In one of the nation's highest-profile domestic terror cases, the prosecution on Monday began making the state's case against five men who are accused of helping to plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from her northern Michigan vacation home.

The first day of the preliminary examination — which came less than a week after a jury convicted two men in federal court, the ringleaders of the plot, and about two years after officials said they had foiled a conspiracy to take out the governor sparked by the pandemic safety restrictions she had imposed — offered a few moments of drama, but mostly recounted what prosecutors in the federal case already had revealed.

Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani started by asking FBI special agent Henrik Impola about the seven-month-long investigation, Operation Coldsnap, against the Wolverine Watchmen, a group that Impola said were "self-styled anarchists," about whom law enforcement had received a report that they may be planning violence.

The investigation, she said, was the "beginning of this story."

Twins Michael and William Null, 40, of Plainwell and Shelbyville, respectively; Shawn Fix, 40, of Belleville; Brian Higgins, 53, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; and Eric Molitor, 38, of Cadillac, are charged with providing material support for terrorism, punishable by up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.

They were all in court Monday.

Throughout the FBI agent's testimony, the prosecution sought to link the defendants to the convicted ringleaders and tie them to the plot. Prosecutors also pointed out twice that Fix claimed to be a Navy SEAL, a member of the elite special operations force, but he never was.

It also revealed allegations that, among other things, there was discussion about shooting the governor in the head and blowing up her boat "mafia style," after Whitmer's husband was criticized in media reports for asking if his boat could be put in the water, flouting shutdown rules, in what he said was a "failed attempt at humor."

The defense frequently interrupted with objections, with lawyers calling some testimony "character assassination."

One defense attorney accused the prosecution of "bush league" lawyering and the FBI agent of being a "puppet monkey."

"Look, you're all professionals," 86th District Judge Michael Stepka said. "I'm going to order everyone to be respectful."

Impola testified that the group was "brainstorming ideas" that included storming the capital and shooting police officers. He also outlined in detail the various steps he said the defendants and others took to carry out their plans.

Impola said the FBI received a complaint from Flint, from a man named "Dan," who was friends with the local police and was concerned about violence. Impola said he met with Dan, saw written communication on his phone about violence against law enforcement, and took photos of it, launching the investigation.

Dan, who was also referred to in the federal terrorism case and the other state case in Jackson as "Big Dan," became a paid confidential informant. The ex-Army vet agreed to "observe and report back" to the FBI and not break any laws, the agent said.

The agent said the FBI provided him with recording devices and paid him about $54,000.

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On June 6, 2020, Impola said, there was a meeting in a Dublin, Ohio, hotel conference room, and leaders of the Wolverine Watchmen, including convicted terrorists Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., and William Null, to plan a boogaloo, or civil war — and a recording was made of it.

At the meeting, Impola said, the group discussed recruiting more members, and the success they had in Michigan, by storming the state Capitol. They allegedly styled their plans as a second American Revolution. Impola said that "they talked about how Gretchen Whitmer was a tyrannical governor and something needed to be done about her."

Impola testified that William Null attended one of the meetings, and the four other defendants in the case were involved in the kidnap plot by doing reconnaissance either in person or by phone and engaging in what the men called field training exercises, some with weapons.

Impola said as the FBI investigation unfolded, the agency recorded conversations involving defendants, checked cellphone internet searches, and ultimately notified the governor's security detail of the threats against her.

Impola ending the day testifying about how the group scouted out Whitmer’s summer cabin off of Birch Lake near Elk Rapids.

Video was played of the group driving down the governor’s street and stopping in front of her home.

Impola described how they then drove to downtown Elk Rapids to the police station so they could see the route of the first responders.

Impola said he had an FBI surveillance team following the group and photographs were shown of the group as they visited the hardware store to secure a rope and a shovel.

The last audio recording played for the day let the courtroom hear a discussion the defendants were involved with that described the plan's purpose: "To send a message ... to let everyone know ... to cut off the head of the snake."

Testimony resumes on Tuesday.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5 men accused in plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appear in court