A man who identified himself as Stephen Robeson, a former FBI informant who helped build the case in an alleged kidnapping conspiracy against the Wolverine Watchmen militia group, made an unexpected phone call to The Epoch Times late on March 12.
Along with his familiar voice and detailed knowledge of the case, the basis for confirming Robeson’s identity is that he referenced a business card this reporter gave his wife, Kim, at the start of the trial in the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
During the 22-minute conversation, Robeson expressed displeasure at his reputation being tarnished. But more important, he said, was his family’s safety.
Referencing a “kill-on-sight” order he says other militiamen have issued against him, Robeson said he has sent his son to live elsewhere in case people attack his home, which has been shown on television.
Robeson agreed to a March 14 formal interview, saying he would also provide evidence of the death threats. However, when that day came, Robeson was silent. Because he called using an unknown number, attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. His attorney in a separate case, Allison Markoski, hasn’t responded to messages and calls.
Robeson is apparently difficult to find.
Robeson is a controversial figure in the alleged plot to capture Michigan’s governor.
Robeson told The Epoch Times that the fallout from being exposed as an FBI informant has compromised his entire family’s safety. While the names of other informants and undercover agents have trickled out since the trial began on March 8, Robeson’s identity has been amplified due to the controversies connected to him.
“If he violated whatever agreement he had with them, then maybe he could have been ‘thrown under the bus.' If that happens, [Robeson is] never going to say publicly that ‘the FBI abandoned me because I violated the agreement.’ He’ll say, ‘I did a good job, and they betrayed me,’” Ruskin said.
“In my experience, informants are highly unreliable. Even in the best of cases, you have to examine what their motives are.”
The government’s basis for accusing Robeson of acting as a double agent is that he warned one of the defendants that the others had been arrested in October 2020. But Robeson told The Epoch Times he made the warning call in order to maintain his own cover.
The other alleged plotters may have suspected Robeson was an informant if he didn’t issue that warning after the initial arrests, he explained during the March 12 phone call.
The defense hopes to ascertain the truth of the matter by putting Robeson on the stand. It isn’t clear when that will happen, since the prosecution is still calling witnesses in a trial that could last well into next month.
The FBI’s Detroit office told The Epoch Times: “FBI Detroit will work closely with other FBI field offices and with our law enforcement partners across the country to identify the source of any threat made to anyone involved with the ongoing prosecution in Grand Rapids. Individuals found responsible for making threats in violation of state and/or federal law will be referred for prosecution in the appropriate jurisdiction.”
