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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
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Jim Watson/AFP
A US court has sentenced one of the two masterminds behind the plot to kidnap US Governor Gretchen Whitmer to 16 years in prison.
The sentence is well below the life sentence demanded by the public prosecutor, as reported by the Washington Post and other US media.
But it is the highest penalty that has been imposed in the case so far.
The 39-year-old was found guilty in August of planning the kidnapping of Whitmer and considering using a bomb.
This should put the politician's security staff out of action.
Plans to kidnap Michigan's governor, who was re-elected in November, came to light in 2020.
At that time, FBI investigators became aware of discussions by a group on social networks about the "violent overthrow of certain government and law enforcement components".
In mid-December, three other men had already been sentenced to 12, 10 and seven years in prison in connection with the plot.
atb/dpa
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