A military veteran, who plotted to bomb FBI office and kill FBI agents probing his role in the January 2021 Capitol riots by Donald Trump supporters, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.
The justice department said in a statement that the convict "developed a kill list of law enforcement" with images of his targets and gave it to his co-conspirator. "Kelley developed a 'kill list' of law enforcement and distributed the list -- along with videos containing images of his targets -- to a co-conspirator," it said.
Edward Kelley was convicted in November of conspiring to murder federal employees and other crimes after plotting to bomb the FBI office in Knoxville with car bombs and drone-mounted incendiary devices, and to assassinate agents at their homes or in public, according to the justice department.
The 36-year-old’s lawyer argued that Trump’s pardon for the Capitol attack should cover his murder plot charges, but prosecutors rejected this, saying his actions were separate in time and place from the Capitol events.
"The defendant's conduct in this case was unrelated in both time and place to the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol," they said in a court filing, as quoted by AFP.
"This case is about the defendant's entirely independent criminal conduct in Tennessee, in late 2022, more than 500 miles away from the Capitol: threatening, soliciting, and conspiring to murder agents, officers, and employees of the FBI," they said.
Kelley was one of over 1,500 individuals pardoned by Trump after being convicted or charged for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress.
He was among the earliest rioters to breach the Capitol and was found guilty of assaulting officers, damaging government property, and other offenses.
The justice department said in a statement that the convict "developed a kill list of law enforcement" with images of his targets and gave it to his co-conspirator. "Kelley developed a 'kill list' of law enforcement and distributed the list -- along with videos containing images of his targets -- to a co-conspirator," it said.
Edward Kelley was convicted in November of conspiring to murder federal employees and other crimes after plotting to bomb the FBI office in Knoxville with car bombs and drone-mounted incendiary devices, and to assassinate agents at their homes or in public, according to the justice department.
The 36-year-old’s lawyer argued that Trump’s pardon for the Capitol attack should cover his murder plot charges, but prosecutors rejected this, saying his actions were separate in time and place from the Capitol events.
"The defendant's conduct in this case was unrelated in both time and place to the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol," they said in a court filing, as quoted by AFP.
"This case is about the defendant's entirely independent criminal conduct in Tennessee, in late 2022, more than 500 miles away from the Capitol: threatening, soliciting, and conspiring to murder agents, officers, and employees of the FBI," they said.
Kelley was one of over 1,500 individuals pardoned by Trump after being convicted or charged for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress.
He was among the earliest rioters to breach the Capitol and was found guilty of assaulting officers, damaging government property, and other offenses.
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