Maryville, Tenn. — Legal tensions are rising as federal prosecutors argue against a motion filed by a Maryville man, Edward Kelley, who seeks to have charges against him dropped in connection with an alleged plot to murder FBI employees in Knoxville. Kelley, who was involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, claims that a presidential pardon granted to him in January should cover charges related to his subsequent plotting, arguing that the charges stem from actions linked to the Capitol attack.
Kelley, who was found guilty of destroying government property and impeding law enforcement officers during the 2021 riot, later came under investigation for an alleged plan to attack the Knoxville FBI office in late 2022. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Kelley compiled a “kill list” targeting FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel, including officials from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and local police departments. Authorities say Kelley intended to carry out the plot using car bombs and drones.
The case took a turn in January when former President Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon for over 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes tied to the Capitol insurrection. In response, Kelley filed a motion, requesting that the pardon be extended to cover his charges related to the murder plot, which he claims is “related to” his actions on January 6.
However, prosecutors quickly countered, asserting that Kelley’s case involves entirely separate criminal conduct that occurred more than 500 miles from the Capitol, well after the riot. In a filing, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Arrowood and Kyle Wilson emphasized that the charges were not connected to the January 6 events but were instead based on Kelley’s efforts to target law enforcement officials in Tennessee.
“This case is about the defendant’s entirely independent criminal conduct in Tennessee, in late 2022, threatening, soliciting and conspiring to murder agents, officers, and employees of the FBI and several other law enforcement agencies,” Arrowood and Wilson argued.
If Kelley’s motion is not granted, he will face sentencing on May 7, 2025. The outcome of this case could have significant legal implications, particularly for the scope of presidential pardons and how they are applied to crimes committed after an initial event.
As the legal battle continues, the question of whether Kelley’s actions were truly “related” to the Capitol riot remains at the forefront of the case, with both sides preparing for a potentially high-stakes courtroom showdown in the coming months.
