January 6 Defendant Sentenced to Life for Law Enforcement Terror Plot
A man pardoned by President Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to kill the FBI agents who were investigating him as well as additional law enforcement agents as part of a “civil war.”
Edward Kelley, who was one of the first four rioters to enter the U.S. Capitol that day, was convicted by a federal judge of plotting to attack the FBI office in Knoxville, Tennessee, with car bombs and explosives attached to drones. Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement personnel and allegedly "distributed this list — along with videos containing images of certain FBI employees identified on the list — to a co-conspirator as part of his 'mission.”
That list contained the names of 36 law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local level, along with titles and cell phone numbers.
Kelley was among 1,500 January 6 rioters pardoned by President Trump when he took office in January. However, prosecutors argued that the pardon didn’t apply given that this is a separate case.
“Kelley not only believes the actions for which he was convicted were justified but that his duty as a self-styled 'patriot' compelled him to target East Tennessee law enforcement for assassination,” stated prosecutors. "The proof at trial established that Kelley targeted law enforcement because of their anticipated role in the civil war that Kelley hoped to initiate and because of his animus towards those who participated in his May 2022 arrest and search of his home."
Kelley was found guilty in November 2024 of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat.
A co-conspirator, Austin Carter, pleaded guilty to the charges and is awaiting sentencing in August. Carter testified against Kelley in his November trial.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
