GRAND RAPIDS, MI-- One of six men accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer pleaded guilty to that offense today in federal court, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today.
Ty Gerard Garbin, of Hartland, Michigan, admitted his guilt in a change of plea hearing conducted by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert J. Jonker. The Court scheduled Garbin’s sentencing on July 8, 2021, at 3:00pm. He remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Garbin pleaded guilty pursuant to an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. Garbin has agreed to fully cooperate with federal and state law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of all criminal activity, including the conspiracy to kidnap the Governor. His obligation to assist law enforcement continues until all investigations and prosecutions are completed. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan agreed not to seek additional criminal charges against him arising out of the conspiracy to kidnap the Governor. The entire plea agreement is publicly available on the Court’s PACER electronic docket system.
Garbin faces up to life in prison and there is no parole in the federal system. The District Court will determine the ultimate sentence to be imposed after evaluating the applicable federal Sentencing Guidelines and considering the statutory sentencing factors, including the nature and circumstances of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; the seriousness of the offense; and the need to promote respect for the law, to provide just punishment, and protect the public from future crimes of the defendant.
Garbin is the first defendant in the case to plead guilty to the indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 16, 2020. Trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 23, 2021.
The charge in the indictment against Garbin’s co-defendants is merely an accusation, and each remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
