He Wanted FBI Blood: Pardoned Jan. 6 Militia Leader Now Faces Life Behind Bars

Former Jan. 6 defendant Edward Kelley has been sentenced to life in federal prison after being convicted of conspiring to murder FBI agents. He faced charges including solicitation to commit a crime of violence and threatening federal officials—serious offenses rooted in his Jan. 6 Capitol presence.

Though President Trump pardoned him and about 1,500 others in January, Judge Thomas Varlan ruled the pardon did not cover Kelley’s separate murder conspiracy. Federal prosecutors painted a chilling picture: Kelley allegedly formed a self-styled militia, conducted combat drills, plotted to bomb the FBI office in Knoxville, compiled a hit list of agents, and even gave the command to “start it,” saying “every hit has to hurt.” They called him “remorseless” and noted he showed “neither capacity nor desire” to rehabilitate.

According to prosecutors, “Kelley not only believes the actions for which he was convicted were justified but that his duty as a self‑styled ‘patriot’ compelled him to target East Tennessee law enforcement for assassination.” The FBI murder plot included plans to bomb agents’ offices and kill identified individuals.

Kelley’s defense countered that no one had actually been threatened or harmed—that he didn’t deserve the same punishment as a “terrorist” who killed or injured many. But Judge Varlan wasn’t convinced: the conspiracy’s severity outweighed pardon protection, especially given the premeditated execution-style nature of the plan.

With Kelley now behind bars for life, attention turns to Austin Carter, a co‑conspirator who pleaded guilty to the same plot. His sentencing is scheduled for next month.