LANSING – Five men facing terrorism and other felony charges for their alleged role in a plot to kidnap the Governor are headed to trial on all charges, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today.
Judge Michael Stepka of the 86th District Court in Traverse City bound over the following individuals:
Shawn Fix, 38, of Belleville, will stand trial on the following charges:
• Providing material support for terrorist acts – a 20-year felony and/or $20,000 fine; and
• Carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony; felony firearm – a two-year mandatory prison sentence to be served consecutively.
Eric Molitor, 36, of Cadillac, will stand trial on the following charges:
• Providing material support for terrorist acts – a 20-year felony and/or $20,000 fine; and
• Carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony; felony firearm – a two-year mandatory prison sentence to be served consecutively.
Michael Null, 38, of Plainwell, will stand trial on the following charges:
• Providing material support for terrorist acts – a 20-year felony and/or $20,000 fine; and
• Carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony; felony firearm – a two-year mandatory prison sentence to be served consecutively.
William Null, 38, of Shelbyville, will stand trial on the following charges:
• Providing material support for terrorist acts – a 20-year felony and/or $20,000 fine; and
• Carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony; felony firearm – a two-year mandatory prison sentence to be served consecutively.
Brian Higgins, 51, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, will stand trial on the following charges:
• Providing material support of an act of terrorism, a 20-year felony.
“This bind over sends a clear message that acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated,” said Nessel. “Those who threaten our law enforcement agents and public officials endanger our entire state and must be held accountable. I am pleased to see this case move forward.”
The Attorney General’s office charged seven men after the execution of multiple search and arrest warrants in a joint operation with the U.S. Attorneys of the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police.
In total, 19 state felony charges were filed by Attorney General Nessel against seven individuals known to be members of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen or associates of Wolverine Watchmen. Federal charges were also filed against six other individuals.
The suspects were alleged to have called on the groups’ members to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them; made threats of violence to instigate a civil war leading to societal collapse; and engaged in the planning and training for an operation to attack the state Capitol building and kidnap government officials, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for December 19 at 8:00 a.m. in Circuit Court.
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