Report: Jan. 6 Rioter Convicted In Plot To Kill Federal Agents
A convicted Jan. 6 rioter has now been found guilty of planning to kill federal agents who were investigating his role in the Capitol attack.
Edward Kelley, 35, was convicted Wednesday by a jury of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat following a three-day trial per The Hill.
Federal prosecutors said Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6, hatching a plan to murder them while awaiting trial in his Capitol attack case.
A defendant who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors testified that he and Kelley plotted attacks on the FBI field office in Knoxville, Tenn., using car bombs and explosives attached to drones, according to the Justice Department. They also discussed assassinating FBI employees in their homes or public places, like movie theatres.
Prosecutors showed a recording at trial of Kelley stating “every hit has to hurt.”
In his Capitol riot case, Kelley was convicted of 11 counts following a two-day bench trial, including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison at sentencing in May.