WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Tennessee man, once pardoned by former President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting attacks against FBI agents and attempting to incite a civil war. Edward Kelly, known for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot, was the fourth rioter to breach the building. He now faces the consequences of a separate investigation regarding his plans against federal agents who were probing his role in the insurrection.
The Department of Justice revealed that Kelly began targeting FBI personnel involved in his investigation in 2022. Officials described his actions as a conspiracy to commit murder, involving the accumulation of resources and devising a plan to attack federal agents. Despite receiving a pardon on January 20 for his Capitol riot involvement, this new conviction ensures Kelly will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Kelly’s case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Tennessee, marking the end of any hopes he had for a pardon in this separate matter. His sentencing highlights ongoing concerns about individuals with a history of recidivism receiving pardons.
The Justice Department has noted other cases of pardoned individuals facing new criminal investigations. This includes a recent arrest on gun charges and another case involving a Texas man, previously released from prison, who was later charged with child solicitation.
Meanwhile, controversy surrounds the FBI’s planned relocation of its headquarters from the aging J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., to a new site. Critics argue that the proposed location in the Ronald Reagan Building lacks the necessary security and infrastructure to house the nation’s top law enforcement agency. Legal challenges and congressional efforts to redirect the move to Maryland are anticipated.