KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A jury found a Tennessee man guilty of plotting to kill Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who investigated his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Edward Kelley's trial started Monday in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on counts of conspiracy to murder federal agents, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat. Judge Thomas Varlan is presiding. He'll be sentenced for those crimes at some point after this week's trial.
After an hour of deliberation, the jury found Kelley guilty on all counts. He's expected to be sentenced on May 7 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
On Wednesday morning, the judge tossed the defense’s motion for acquittal and the jury heard closing arguments.
Prosecutors portrayed Kelley as a man determined to murder federal agents investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol after Kelley himself clashed with a police officer and forced his way inside the seat of government.
The defense, however, argued Kelley, 35, of Maryville, never made actual plans to assassinate anyone. It was all just talk, defense attorney Mark Brown said.
Several witnesses testified Tuesday, including two men with direct knowledge of Edward Kelley's plans. Authorities said while Kelley led the assassination plot, he was also facing charges of assaulting law enforcement and illegally entering the Capitol building during the riot.
Christopher Roddy had worked with Kelley in security and alerted the FBI and recorded conversations about Kelley's plans. Austin Carter had also worked with Kelley. Carter has already pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to kill FBI agents and is awaiting sentencing.
He testified that Kelley was the leader and said he believed they needed to "take out" the FBI. Carter said Kelley believed the country was headed into another civil war, and he wanted to strike first. They originally planned to attach the FBI Knoxville office with vehicular bombs or incendiary devices strapped to drones, before changing plans to target individual agents.
Carter said Kelley gave him a list of agent names, who had been involved in a search of Kelley's home or who investigated the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Three agents told jurors Tuesday that they saw the list as a threat.