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Man Pleads To Firearm Charge In Militia Case

DETROIT (WWJ/AP)- A member of a Midwest militia accused of conspiring to rebel against the government and use weapons of mass destruction has pleaded guilty to a firearm charge, the first plea in the case, the government said Monday.

Joshua Clough, 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Detroit. A message seeking comment was left Monday for the Lenawee County man's lawyer.

During a series of raids in late March, authorities arrested Clough and eight other alleged members of a southern Michigan group called Hutaree, based in Lenawee County Federal prosecutors claim Hutaree members were scheming to kill a police officer, then attack law enforcement who attended the funeral, in the first steps toward a broader rebellion.

The remaining eight defendants are scheduled to stand trial beginning Feb. 7 before U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts.

As part of his plea, Clough acknowledged he was a member of Hutaree and in February of last year participated in a training session that "focused on an upcoming covert reconnaissance exercise," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. She said Clough "used and carried a firearm" during the training session. He faces a mandatory five years in federal prison.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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