Two Tennessee men have been charged with plotting to kill the law enforcement officers who investigated one of them for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Prosecutors say that the Jan. 6 defendant, 33-year-old Edward Kelley, had a list of the people involved in his criminal investigation. He and 26-year-old Austin Carter were allegedly planning to kill those individuals and attack the FBI’s Knoxville, Tennessee, field office.
A coworker of Carter’s who was asked to help with the revenge plot instead tipped off the FBI this week, according to court documents.
The witness said he was given a list of 37 names, which he was expected to memorize. He allegedly was told to “reach out to your cop buddies and see what information you can collect on the individuals on the list.”
After contacting the FBI, the witness agreed to record conversations with Kelley and Carter as well as capture them discussing plans to continue with their mission even if one of them was arrested.
Kelley and Carter are now facing charges of retaliation against a federal official, conspiracy, soliciting violent crime and interstate communication of a threat.
In May, law enforcement arrested Kelley for allegedly attacking a police officer during the Capitol riot, breaking a window and damaging a building door. He roamed the Capitol for around 40 minutes, prosecutors say.
Both Kelley and Carter remain behind bars.