Edward Kelley, a 35-year-old resident of Maryville, Tennessee, was convicted by a federal jury in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The conviction follows a three-day trial that concluded with Kelley being found guilty of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing a federal official by threat.
The evidence revealed that Kelley, while awaiting trial for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, devised a plan to kill law enforcement personnel, including FBI agents and employees. A central component of the plan was a “kill list” that Kelley compiled, which included FBI agents and other individuals involved in investigating his activities on January 6. Kelley distributed this list, along with videos showing images of certain FBI employees, to a co-conspirator to carry out his “mission.”
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A cooperating defendant, who had previously pleaded guilty to participation in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley plotted to attack the Knoxville FBI Field Office using car bombs and incendiary devices attached to drones. The conspirators also discussed assassinating FBI employees at their homes and in public settings, such as movie theaters.
During the trial, recordings were introduced in which Kelley spoke of developing a “course of action” for his plan. In one recording, Kelley instructed to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” if he were to be arrested, emphasizing that “every hit has to hurt.”
Kelley is scheduled for sentencing on May 7, 2025, and could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee, with support from Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren, Tanya Senanayake, and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation was led by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with significant involvement from the FBI and its field offices across the country.
Source: Read Original Release
Patrick Bryant Hawley Arrested for Child Exploitation
Patrick Bryant Hawley from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was arrested by HSI and FBI agents in Chattanooga on November 14, 2024, for charges related to child sexual exploitation. Following his arrest, he appeared in court and was detained pending an arraignment scheduled for November 22, 2024, with a trial date to be determined later. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, HSI’s Special Agent Rana Saoud, and FBI’s Special Agent Joseph E. Carrico. HSI encourages those affected by child exploitation to report it via their tipline.