Michigan men face intimidation counts

DETROIT — Two members of a white supremacist group were arrested Thursday and accused of intimidating a Michigan family, authorities said.

Justen Watkins, 25, of Bad Axe and Alfred Gorman, 35, of Taylor were charged with gang membership, unlawful posting of a message and using computers to commit a crime, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.

The charges followed an investigation by Michigan State Police and the FBI into a group called The Base and a December 2019 incident in which a family in Dexter saw men in dark clothing shining a light and taking photos on the front porch of their home. The photos were uploaded onto The Base’s social media platform channel along with a caption that alluded to a person involved with an antifa podcast, according to authorities.

Nessel’s office said the group was targeting that person, but that he had never lived at the home, which is about 50 miles west of Detroit.

Antifa is an umbrella description for far-left militant groups that resist white supremacists at demonstrations and other events.

“Using tactics of intimidation to incite fear and violence constitutes criminal behavior,” Nessel said. “We cannot allow dangerous activities to reach their goal of inflicting violence and harm on the public.”

The arrests come after authorities this month alleged that members of two anti-government paramilitary groups — the Michigan III-percenters and the Wolverine Watchmen — took part in plotting to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the Nov. 3 election in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power.” Some were charged under federal law and others under state law. Some of the Wolverine Watchmen are accused of planning and training for other violent crimes, including storming the Michigan Capitol.