Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville this week.
On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.
Edward Kelley, a decorated Marine and father of two young children, will spend the rest of his life in prison for threats he made. He didn’t act on his threats, and claimed he was blowing off steam on encrypted apps.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
They had a cooperating defendant
A cooperating defendant, the co-conspirator, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
He didn’t get to the point of making any bombs or buying any weapons.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.”
The DoJ had a cooperating defendant who pleaded guilty.
Kelley was angry that his home had been raided in 2022 after serving a January 6th-related sentence for shoving a police officer.
After the FBI raid, and he was released from prison, Kelley was angry that he was being continually harassed and surveilled by federal authorities.
This is Edward Kelly’s statement.
Yesterday, January 6 Political Prisoner Edward Kelley was sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON + years of Probation!!!
Edward called me today to speak out for the FIRST time since his Life Sentence
This brave US Marine is an IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERAN!!!
EDWARD HAS BRN RAILROADED pic.twitter.com/4Om6sQX2XH
— Jake Lang – January 6 Political Prisoner (@JakeLangJ6) July 4, 2025
There’s no defense for this. It’s not a victimless crime. Ask any cop who works with the public. Certain people will believé anything and may act on it. Good luck in prison.
LIFE?? Antifa and BLM have actually attacked law enforcement personnel, their vehicles, and government buildings. None of them got life. Congressional Democrats have supported Muslim terrorists. No investigations or prosecution. Liberals cheered when Trump was shot. Nothing. ” Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I’m outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House, but I know… Read more »
Thought crime. If this stands, every member of ANTIFA in LA and WA should have the same sentence.
BS. It’s not the same. Printing a list with photos of actual LEOs, along with a threat to harm, is a direct threat LEOs should not have to face. Isn’t it enough they face total strangers everyday trying to fight and harm them? To target them is beyond the pale.
The Biden DOJ violated the civil rights of every J6 defendant, no exceptions. That’s not an excuse for violent retaliations but it would definitely stimulate such thoughts in the common man. The pardons did not make whole the victims of the perverted DOJ transgressions and that must still be remedied.
Yet we have Democrats calling for Trump’s assassination, and the assassination of his cabinet members, and for the deaths of all of his followers. This is a daily occurrence, and I’ve not seen one snowflake arrested for it. Not ONE!!!!
the evey tik tok poster calling for as–ination MUST be arrested
By these standards, Madonna should be in jail for life! She’s thought a lot about Bl**** up the Whitehouse. It’s on video and has witnesses.