LANSING (WWJ) – A Wisconsin man charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to testify against the other remaining defendants in the case.
Brian Higgins of Wisconsin Dells pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support for terrorism, a five-year felony, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday.
As part of his plea agreement – which entailed a reduction of charges – Higgins agreed to testify truthfully.
Higgins, 54, was one of several men charged as a result of a large-scale police operation by state and federal authorities in October 2020 that exposed a plot to kidnap the governor, according to the AG's office.
In total, 20 state felony charges were filed by Nessel against eight men for their involvement in the plot. Three defendants were previously convicted in Jackson County.
Federal charges were also filed against six other individuals, of whom four were convicted and two were acquitted.
Prosecutors argued the group had constructed a plan to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home in Elk Rapids, Michigan, in an attempt to plunge the state into chaos and incite a political uprising. The FBI had secretly embedded into the group and broke up the plot with 14 arrests. Governor Whitmer was never physically harmed.
Higgins was originally arrested and charged providing material support of an act of terrorism, a 20-year felony, but it was pleaded down to an attempted crime as part of the agreement.
Higgins allegedly drove past Whitmer's second home in Antrim County back in 2020 while others waited across a lake for a signal from a laser-style device, according to investigators. He admitted to taking a ride at night past Whitmer's vacation home with a camera rigged to his truck, but she was not at the home.
"Anti-government extremism poses a threat to the safety of public officials, law enforcement officers, and residents all across our state," Nessel said, per a press release. "My department's Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit is working around the clock to ensure that those who attempt to sow discord and commit violence in Michigan are stopped before any harm can come of their plots. We will keep fighting to deliver justice as the remaining prosecutions continue to play out."
A sentencing date for Higgins has not been set. A status conference for the other defendants has been scheduled for March 21, 2023.
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