How a Milford landlord helped feds bust alleged Whitmer kidnap plot

New details are surfacing about the alleged extremists behind the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including how one militia member was outed after getting evicted from his apartment and left behind some personal belongings that raised red flags.

According to trial testimony, the landlord found a handwritten Boogaloo sign in defendant Paul Bellar's apartment, a militia training itinerary, a handwritten note about the rank structure of the militia group, and a notebook with code words, such as "dogs got ticks" — which stood for the feds, cops are onto us.

The landlord called the Milford police, who called the FBI.

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'They're asking about my Boogaloo involvement'

What followed was a "Panic at the Bonfire" meeting, which the feds described as "Significant Event No. 21" in the kidnap plot — when the group got suspicious that the FBI was onto them.

"Guys, the cops just questioned my roommate about me," Bellar is heard telling the group in a recording played at trial. "They're asking him about my Boogaloo involvement."

Then he recommended the group change its "code words ASAP."

"All I know is they know a lot of stuff they shouldn't," Bellar tells the group.

Another militia member chimes in: "This is a big problem."

"We've been compromised," says another.

Bellar is among three men currently on trial in Jackson County Circuit Court, where part two of the foiled kidnap plot is being played out as the state prosecutes its terrorism case. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Bellar are charged with providing material support for a terrorist act, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, for allegedly being part of a broader plot to kidnap the the governor.

Four others were convicted of kidnapping conspiracy in a separate, federal case; two were acquitted at trial.

'You think we got a rat?'

Jurors on Monday heard from FBI special agent Henrik Impola, who testified about the so-called "Panic at the Bonfire" meeting, where Bellar is heard trying to assure the group that his roommate didn't spill any crucial details. Bellar said that the roommate "hates cops" and that he told police the codes were for an online game they play.

"They have probably been watching me for a while," Bellar says. "You think we got a rat?"

Bellar then tells the group he's going to "go ghost for a while and try to get out of their microscope ... I'm almost wondering if my dumb ass left behind any paper."

After this bonfire, one man left the group, telling the others in a message: "I've decided to leave. I don't think I'm as committed as y'all ... nothing against any of you."

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'Show-your-papers meeting'

According to Impola, the group made significant changes following the bonfire incident, including canceling an Aug. 23, 2020, recon of the governor's cabin Up North. Instead of casing Whitmer's cottage, he said, they scheduled a "show your papers meeting" — which required all the members to come forward and prove their employment and where they lived.

This meeting was held at the Lake Orion home of federal defendant Daniel Harris, who was acquitted at trial in April.

The group also created a new encrypted chat group called "F--- Around and Find Out."

Bellar also sent two of his sisters messages urging them not to talk to law enforcement about his connections to the Boogaloo movement, including: "If the cops or any officials ask anything about me ... please for the love of God don't tell them anything."

The jury also heard a chat between Bellar and Morrison, in which Bellar expressed concern that a member they knew as Big Dan was really working undercover — which he was.

"I think we’ve had a mole for a while now," Bellar tells Morrison, noting no one has ever been to Big Dan's house. "He’s got hella money … and a small, very cliche background story ... he’s been very quiet in our chat."

Judge: Acquittals aren't relevant

Both sides got testy Monday as they argued for more than an hour about whether the jury should be allowed to know that two men were acquitted in the first trial on federal charges in the case.

The defense wanted that information to be known; the prosecution did not, noting the convictions aren't being mentioned.

In the end, after breathing a heavy sigh, the judge concluded that the jury will not hear about the acquittals because it’s different from the state case, and the jury may get confused.

“We’re dealing with different charges … As attorneys, that’s much easier to understand. But when it comes to a jury of 12 laypeople to understand those differences, I’m concerned that it would be overly prejudicial to allow that to come in,” said Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson, adding a jury could conclude, "'Well, if they got off, why shouldn’t these guys get off’ … when it’s a completely different case.”

'Did these guys help train terrorists, or not?'

The two sides then argued for at least another hour about what the state case is about.

The prosecution argued it was about three things:

• Men training others for a terrorist attack, including killing police officers.

• Killing politicians.

• Kidnapping the governor.

“It’s a simple story – did these guys help train terrorists, or not?” the prosecutor told the judge.

The defense countered that the case centers only on an alleged plot to kidnap the governor, nothing else.

Not quite, said the judge, who brought up testimony about the defendants riding to Detroit for an event, and saying if they were to get stopped by police, they would shoot them.

Friday was two years to the day after the defendants were arrested.

Testimony resumes Tuesday morning.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer kidnap plot: How Milford landlord helped feds bust it