Hutarree Christian Militia Members Acquitted of Conspiracy; Leader Faces Lesser Charges
The trial against members of the so-called Hutaree militia resumes Thursday as the Michigan-based group’s leader David Stone Sr. and his son, Joshua, face weapons charges.
The stakes, however, are considerably lower after a federal judge in Detroit on Tuesday dropped the more serious charges of sedition and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against the government. The directed verdict cleared several of the original nine defendants of all charges.
Federal authorities accused the nine members of the “Christian warrior” militia of homegrown terrorism. The FBI planted a secret informant and FBI agent in the militia in 2008 to record the activities of the group. The video and audio recordings became the crux of the federal case, including clips of the elder Stone making anti-government statements and remarks about killing police officers.