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Edward Kelley (images via FBI tribunal filing).
A "remorseless" Jan. 6 suspect who was recovered blameworthy past twelvemonth of plotting to termination FBI agents who investigated him aft the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack is acceptable to walk the remainder of his days down bars aft getting slapped with a beingness condemnation connected Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan handed down the condemnation to suspect Edward Kelley during a proceeding successful Knoxville, Tennessee. The Justice Department had argued successful a sentencing memorandum past period that Kelley deserved the harshest punishment imaginable aft helium continued to "believe helium was justified successful targeting East Tennessee instrumentality enforcement for assassination" — and that helium was "duty-bound arsenic a self-proclaimed patriot to bash so."
DOJ officials announced successful a press release that the justice agreed.
"Kelley, 36, of Maryville … was sentenced to beingness successful situation contiguous successful the Eastern District of Tennessee," the merchandise said.
"According to tribunal documents and grounds presented astatine trial, Kelley developed a program to execution instrumentality enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff's Office, and Clinton Police Department," DOJ officials recounted. "The grounds showed that Kelley developed a 'kill list' of instrumentality enforcement and distributed the database — on with videos containing images of his targets — to a co-conspirator arsenic portion of his 'mission.'"
Kelley was convicted successful November 2024 on charges of conspiracy to execution national employees, solicitation to perpetrate a transgression of unit and influencing a national authoritative by menace pursuing a three-day trial. The authorities filed its sentencing memorandum connected June 17 and recommended a punishment of beingness successful prison, blasting Kelley's transgression behaviour arsenic being "unquestionably serious," according to the filing.
"The suspect is remorseless," the DOJ charged.
"From adjacent earlier the instant offenses of conviction, done his committee of these crimes, up until and aft trial, the defendant's behaviour demonstrates a cardinal lack of remorse, a committedness to continuing his transgression behaviour erstwhile released from prison, disrespect for the regularisation of law, and a profound request for deterrence," the authorities added. "Beyond simply failing to judge work for his ain transgression conduct, the Defendant affirmatively believes helium is the unfortunate of a transgression seemingly committed by the FBI, the United States, the proceedings witnesses, the jury, and this Court. Rather than evince a tendency to rehabilitate himself, helium appears arrogant of his crimes."
Kelley's attorney, Mark Brown, claimed successful their response that the DOJ was utilizing "unsubstantiated and uncharged allegations" to spot Kelley successful a "false light."
Kelley tried claiming earlier this twelvemonth that his federal execution crippled case and condemnation successful the Volunteer State were "related to events that occurred astatine oregon adjacent the United States Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021," according to court documents. He filed a question to disregard his indictment and to vacate his assemblage convictions connected Jan. 27, 1 week aft Trump issued his executive order pardoning anyone prosecuted for the riot. The DOJ urged Varlan to uphold Kelley's conviction, condemning his claims arsenic "wrong" and Kelley, himself, for having "no authorization supporting his position."
In March, Varlan — a George W. Bush appointee — agreed with the DOJ and rejected Kelley's tribunal bid to get his execution crippled condemnation covered by Trump's pardon, saying "none of the substantive offenses oregon charging provisions overlap" successful the mode Kelley has claimed successful filings. The DOJ said Kelley was "motivated by a tendency to initiate a civilian warfare and to retaliate for his erstwhile arrest," and was idiosyncratic who was "committed to executing his plan."
In his Jan. 6 case, Kelley was recovered blameworthy of 3 felonies — civilian disorder, demolition of authorities spot successful an magnitude implicit $1,000 and assaulting, resisting, oregon impeding definite officers — for allegedly storming the Capitol gathering and attacking a constabulary officer. Evidence presented astatine his proceedings successful Knoxville showed however helium compiled a "kill list" of FBI agents and employees who were probing him and his Jan. 6 conduct, which helium past distributed to "conspirators," on with images of them.
"At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the suspect calling for the improvement of a 'course of action' related to his plan," the DOJ recounted Wednesday. "In 1 specified recording, the suspect gave the instructions to, among different things, 'start it,' 'attack,' and 'take retired their office' successful the lawsuit of his arrest."
Kelley was recorded stating, "You don't person clip to bid oregon coordinate, but each deed has to hurt," and "Every deed has to hurt."
"These crimes are superior and undeniably dangerous," the authorities said successful its sentencing memo. "He continues to judge helium was justified successful targeting East Tennessee instrumentality enforcement for assassination and was duty-bound arsenic a self-proclaimed patriot to bash so."
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