Tennessee Man Convicted of Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges for Actions During Jan 6. Capitol Breach

Press Release

WASHINGTON - A Tennessee man was convicted of assaulting law enforcement and other felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, was found guilty of three felonies, including civil disorder, one count of destruction of government property in an amount over $1,000, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

In addition to the felonies, Kelley was convicted of eight misdemeanor offenses, including of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, entering and remaining in the Gallery of Congress, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, destruction of government property under $1,000, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Kelley was convicted of these charges following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and will be sentenced on April 7, 2025.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Kelley was identified in open-source images and video footage outside the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. There, Kelley is seen moving to the scaffolding over a set of stairs and becomes involved in an altercation with a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer where he and two other men throw the officer to the ground.

Kelley then moves to the top of the stairs with a crowd of rioters before being stopped by law enforcement. However, Kelley is seen in open-source video footage pushing and pulling on a metal barricade with police on the other end. The crowd and Kelley eventually pushed past police and made their way closer to the Capitol building. Kelley arrived just outside the Senate Wing Door and is then seen in an open-source video using a piece of wood to smash and breach the window adjacent to the door. Kelley then entered the building through this window at approximately 2:13 p.m. Evidence showed that Kelley was the fourth person to enter the building through this breached window.

After entering into the building, Kelley moved to the still-closed Senate Wing Door and kicked it open. As the crowd of rioters poured into the building, Kelley moved further into the building and can be seen in an open-source video confronting Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman. Kelley then made his way through several areas of the Capitol, including the Ohio Clock Corridor, the Crypt, the Senate Gallery, and the Rotunda. In another open-source video, Kelley is identified in the Senate Gallery.

Kelley exited the Capitol through the Rotunda Door at 2:54 p.m. and was inside the building for approximately 40 minutes.

Kelley was arrested on May 5, 2022, in Tennessee.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's Knoxville and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Contact

Updated November 8, 2024