KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man once wrapped in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has now been condemned to die behind bars—not for storming Congress, but for something even darker: plotting to assassinate FBI agents.
Edward Kelley, 35, a self-styled militia leader and convicted Capitol rioter, was sentenced to life in federal prison on Wednesday after prosecutors revealed a chilling scheme to kill law enforcement officers who had investigated him. The sentencing comes months after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping mass pardon in January 2025 that cleared the records of hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants—including Kelley—for their actions on that day.
But federal prosecutors drew a red line: Kelley’s violent conspiracy after the fact wasn’t part of the deal.
“This pardon doesn’t cover murder plots,” a DOJ spokesperson told reporters. “That was made abundantly clear from day one.”
The Plot That Went Too Far
Kelley wasn’t just another face in the MAGA crowd. On Jan. 6, 2021, he was photographed in a red Trump hat outside the Capitol, phone in hand. But by 2022, prosecutors say, he was planning something far more sinister.
According to federal court filings, Kelley built a kill list targeting specific FBI agents. He recruited a small band of men, conducted paramilitary drills in rural Tennessee, and identified “storage zones” for weapons—his so-called “hornet’s nests.” Prosecutors said Kelley was preparing to bomb the FBI’s Knoxville field office and gave his co-conspirators the green light to launch the attack.
“Every hit has to hurt,” Kelley reportedly told his allies before issuing the command: “Start it.”
Kelley’s co-conspirator, Austin Carter, flipped on him after pleading guilty to his role in the plan. Carter is expected to be sentenced next month.
A Judge Draws the Line
U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan handed down the life sentence during a dramatic hearing in Knoxville, rejecting defense claims that the Trump pardon shielded Kelley from additional charges.
“This was not political protest,” the judge said sternly. “This was a calculated, premeditated plan to kill federal agents. That is terrorism.”
Kelley’s attorney argued that no agents were actually harmed and claimed the plot amounted to little more than “talk.” He asked the court to show leniency.
“Mr. Kelley is not a terrorist,” his attorney said. “There was no blood spilled. This is not the same as someone who bombs a building or kills civilians.”
But prosecutors painted a much darker picture.
“Kelley was remorseless, dangerous, and determined,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote in its sentencing brief. “He wasn’t just angry—he was mobilizing for war.”
The Trump Factor
Though Kelley’s name appeared on Trump’s January pardon list, a federal judge ruled earlier this year that the immunity only applied to crimes committed on Jan. 6. That meant Kelley’s post-riot conspiracy to murder law enforcement officers remained prosecutable—and punishable.
Trump, who has stood by his blanket pardon of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 participants, has not commented on Kelley’s sentencing.
Critics say the case underscores the growing concern about domestic extremism, especially among those radicalized by Jan. 6 and its aftermath.
“Trump gave these guys a second chance,” said former FBI agent Frank Figliuzzi. “Kelley used it to plot mass murder.”
What’s Next
Austin Carter’s sentencing next month may bring more answers—and possibly more names. Meanwhile, the FBI says it has increased security at field offices across the Southeast.
Kelley’s life sentence, prosecutors say, sends a message.
“We will not allow threats against federal law enforcement to go unanswered,” the DOJ said in a statement. “Not now. Not ever.”
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The FBI and judges were also doing Democrat EVIL after Jan. 6th because they were doing the Democrat EVIL of EVIL Democrat Pres. Jokementia Bribery! Any plots should be to take out Evil Jokementia and Evil Democrats’ Party.