A Tennessee man found guilty of assaulting a police officer during the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack was convicted in a separate case on Wednesday for conspiring to murder FBI agents involved in the investigation into his role in the assault on the Capitol, according to the Justice Department.
Edward Kelley, 35, was found guilty in US District Court in Tennessee of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation of violent crime and threatening a federal official, the department said in a press release.
Kelley created a “kill list” targeting 37 agents and others involved in the investigation, which he shared with a co-conspirator, Austin Carter, along with videos identifying the agents, according to an affidavit. Carter pleaded guilty in connection with the plot in November 2023.
A cooperating defendant testified about plans to attack the local FBI office in Knoxville, Tennessee — about 180 miles east of Nashville — using car bombs and drones, the press release said. The witness also described discussions about assassinating FBI agents both at home and in public spaces, such as movie theaters.
During the trial, prosecutors presented recordings of Kelley instructing his co-conspirators on a “course of action” for the assassination plot, the press release said. In one recording, he urged them to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” if he was arrested.
“If I’m extradited to DC or you don’t hear about my status within 24 or 48 hours… if they are coming to arrest me again, start it,” Kelley said in a recorded call, according to the earlier affidavit. “You guys are taking them out at their office. What you and [Carter] need to do is recruit as many as you can … and you’re going to attack their office.”
“Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt,” Kelley stated.
Kelley faces a possible life term in prison at sentencing scheduled for May 7.
In May 2022, Kelley faced charges for assaulting a police officer during the Capitol riot.
In November, Kelley was convicted of three felonies and eight misdemeanors for his role in the Capitol breach. Evidence showed him assaulting law enforcement, breaking a Capitol window and entering the building during the riot. Kelley is set to be sentenced on those charges on April 7.
More than 1,561 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol breach since that day.
CNN’s Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.