Federal Jury Convicts Maryville Man Of Conspiring To Murder FBI Employees

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On November 20, 2024, following a three-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, of Conspiracy to Murder Federal Employees, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1117; Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 373; and Influencing a Federal Official by Threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 115(a)(1)(B).

Kelley faces a sentence of up to life in federal prison. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court at Knoxville on May 7, 2025, at 2:00 pm.

The evidence presented at trial established that Kelley, while awaiting trial for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including FBI agents and employees. The proof showed that Kelley developed a "kill list" of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on January 6 and that Kelley distributed this list - along with videos containing images of certain FBI employees identified on the list - to a co-conspirator as part of his "mission."

A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty to 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.

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: "Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt."

"The safety of our men and women in law enforcement is of paramount concern," said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. "There is simply no room in society for those who would engage in this kind of reprehensible conduct and threaten to assassinate FBI agents and others who are honorably serving to uphold the law, and this office will pursue all such threats against civil servants working for the public good."

"The danger posed by the defendant in this case was very real," said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "Today's guilty verdict is a culmination of the tireless efforts of our dedicated employees and the invaluable partnership we have with our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to protect the nation from threats of violent extremism."

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T, Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren, Tanya Senanayake, and David Smith of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

The case was investigated by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It was led by the FBI and involved the assistance of FBI offices from across the country.

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