Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant Sentenced to Life in Prison for FBI Murder Plot

The Tennessee man claimed the presidential pardon covered his conspiracy case, but a judge ruled the plot was unrelated to the Jan. 6 events.

A man identified as Edward Kelley inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. Department of Justice via The Epoch Times

A Tennessee man pardoned by President Donald Trump for charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to life in prison for plotting to kill FBI agents.

Edward Kelley was sentenced on July 2 in federal court in Knoxville after being convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit violence, and threatening a federal official, court filings show. Prosecutors said previously that Kelley created a “kill list” of FBI agents involved in investigating his Jan. 6 conduct and discussed attacks using car bombs and drones.

Kelley’s attorneys had argued that Trump’s Jan. 20 pardon covered the plot case because it was connected to his Jan. 6 charges.

Justice Department lawyers said the murder plot was a separate crime that took place nearly two years later and in a different part of the country.

During a court hearing on July 2, Judge Thomas Varlan imposed a life sentence on one count, plus 20 and 10 years on two other counts, all running concurrently. Kelley was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $300 special assessment. The court waived the fine, however, citing his inability to pay.

Kelley asked the judge to reconsider his request for a new trial, which was denied, according to local outlet 10News. He also argued that his case should be dismissed, citing Trump’s pardon.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump pardoned some 1,500 individuals, including Kelley. A proclamation said that he granted pardons for offenses “relating to the events at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”

Court documents indicate that Kelley left Tennessee for Washington, where he joined Trump’s Jan. 6 rally before heading to the Capitol. There, he got into a confrontation with a Capitol Police officer outside, broke a window with a piece of wood, and climbed through the frame. Once inside, he kicked open a door leading to the Senate wing and was among the crowd that entered the Senate gallery. He remained inside for roughly 40 minutes.

In 2022, Kelley faced charges tied to the Capitol breach, including assaulting police and damaging property, and was later convicted by a judge on 11 counts.

While facing those charges, Kelley and his accomplice, Austin Carter, were arrested on suspicion of planning to kill law enforcement personnel and attack an FBI field office in Knoxville. A criminal complaint alleged that Kelley and Carter developed a list of law enforcement personnel who participated in the criminal investigation related to Jan. 6, with the intent to “kill the individual law enforcement personnel on the list.”

Carter, who pleaded guilty and testified against Kelley at trial, is set for sentencing in August. Carter’s testimony revealed that he and Kelley discussed bombing the Knoxville FBI office with car bombs and drones carrying incendiary devices. He told jurors they also considered killing FBI employees at home and in public places like movie theaters.

During the trial, prosecutors played recordings in which Kelley outlined a “course of action” related to the plot. In one clip, he gave instructions to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” if arrested. Kelley also stated, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt.”

Kelley’s attorney, Mark Brown, argued that Kelley did not hurt anybody or directly threaten anybody with violence, and that his remarks amounted to protected speech under the First Amendment.

In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that the evidence was “clear” that Kelley “targeted law enforcement for assassination,” and that he recruited, trained, and organized others to support his cause.