KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man who participated in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack has been sentenced to life in prison for plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him after the riot.
Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, was handed the life sentence on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville. Kelley was convicted last November on charges of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit violence, and threatening a federal official.
According to the Justice Department, Kelley developed a “kill list” that included FBI agents, officers from multiple Tennessee law enforcement agencies, and other federal employees. Prosecutors said he distributed videos and images of his intended targets to a co-conspirator as part of his plan.
In court documents, prosecutors described Kelley as “remorseless” and warned he remained committed to violence. “From even before the instant offenses of conviction, through his commission of these crimes, up until and after trial, the defendant’s conduct demonstrates a fundamental absence of remorse,” the DOJ said.
Kelley’s attorney, Mark Brown, argued that prosecutors relied on “unsubstantiated and uncharged allegations” and sought to portray Kelley in a false light.
Earlier this year, Kelley attempted to have his charges dismissed by claiming his murder plot was related to his actions at the Capitol and thus covered under a pardon issued by former President Donald Trump for Jan. 6 defendants. Judge Varlan rejected the argument, ruling that the offenses “do not overlap” and were separate from the Capitol charges.
Kelley’s conviction stems partly from his participation in the Jan. 6 riot, where he was found guilty of civil disorder, destruction of government property exceeding $1,000, and assaulting or resisting officers. Evidence at his Knoxville trial showed he called for violent retaliation if arrested, saying, “Every hit has to hurt.”
Prosecutors said Kelley was driven by a desire to start a civil war and retaliate for his prior arrest.
“These crimes are serious and undeniably dangerous,” the DOJ said in its sentencing memorandum. “He continues to believe he was justified in targeting East Tennessee law enforcement for assassination and was duty-bound as a self-proclaimed patriot to do so.”
