DETROIT — Ty Garbin, convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, could be released to a halfway house within days because a judge Friday reduced his prison sentence, citing ongoing cooperation that helped convict two ringleaders.
The move by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker to cut the 75-month sentence to 30 months served as a big break for one of four men convicted in the largest domestic terrorism case in a generation that has shed light on political extremism in Michigan.
The judge granted requests for a sentence reduction from prosecutors and Garbin's lawyers who cited his testimony as the government's star witness during two federal trials and noted he had become a target of extremists behind bars.
Garbin, 26, of Hartland Township, has spent nearly two years in custody since he was arrested in October 2020 by FBI agents who said they thwarted a plot involving more than a dozen men who conspired to kidnap Whitmer. The six months remaining on Garbin's prison sentence could qualify him for transfer to a halfway house, his lawyer, Gary Springstead, told The Detroit News.
“I think it’s great. It’s a great reduction and it shows how valuable his cooperation was,” Springstead said. “Although he’s served a significant amount of time, he’s about to put that behind him and begin the rest of his life.”
That cooperation includes testifying during two federal trials, including one that ended last month with ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft convicted of kidnapping conspiracy and other charges. Garbin also is continuing to help the Michigan Attorney General's Office prosecute 10 people facing state charges related to the kidnap plot.
A Whitmer spokesman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday.
When Garbin was sentenced 13 months ago, the judge read a portion of Whitmer’s victim impact statement, in which the governor emphasized violence endangers democracy and has no place in political discourse.
Garbin has been shuffled among county jails while cooperating with federal prosecutors. He is currently incarcerated at the Van Buren County Jail, about 20 miles southwest of Kalamazoo.
"There is a big difference between cooperating and showing up to testify, and being locked in a county jail," Springstead said. "For a guy who prior to this hadn’t served a day of jail time, this has seemed like an eternity."
The judge cited Garbin's willingness to cooperate with prosecutors and his genuine interest in reform when he delivered the 75-month sentence. Jonker said he hopes it deters other people from getting swept up in extremist ideology and plots of violence.
The judge also acknowledged Garbin’s commitment to working with anti-extremist groups after being released from custody.
Garbin faces "grave danger" if he is sent to federal prison, his lawyers wrote in an earlier court filing.
"The target that Mr. Garbin presents for extremists, prison gangs, or someone out to make a name for themselves cannot be ignored," Springstead and attorney Mark Satawa wrote. "The danger is real and will pervade everything Mr. Garbin does and everywhere he goes."
Garbin is one of four people convicted in the kidnapping plot. Waterford Township resident Kaleb Franks admitted in February that he plotted to kidnap Whitmer. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 6.
Fox and Croft are scheduled to be sentenced in December and face up to life in federal prison. They were accused of being part of a broader group of people who were angered by pandemic restrictions and hoped to spark a second Civil War.
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