Tennessee Man Convicted for Role in U.S. Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON – A Tennessee resident has been found guilty of several charges stemming from his involvement in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Edward Kelley, 35, from Maryville, Tennessee, was convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers and multiple other felonies and misdemeanors. Kelley’s actions, along with those of others, disrupted a joint session of Congress that was meeting to certify the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election.
Details of the Conviction
Kelley faced a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, where he was found guilty of three felonies: civil disorder, destruction of government property exceeding $1,000, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to these felonies, Kelley was convicted of eight misdemeanor offenses. These include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted area, entering and remaining in the Gallery of Congress, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, committing acts of physical violence on Capitol grounds, destruction of government property under $1,000, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2025.
Evidence and Trial Findings
During the trial, evidence presented included open-source images and video footage showing Kelley outside the West Front of the Capitol on January 6. He was seen engaging in an altercation with a U.S. Capitol Police officer, where he and two other individuals were involved in throwing the officer to the ground. Kelley was also recorded pushing and pulling on a metal barricade against police efforts, eventually forcing his way closer to the Capitol with other rioters.
Footage showed Kelley using a piece of wood to smash a window next to the Senate Wing Door, entering the building at approximately 2:13 p.m. as the fourth person through the breached window. Once inside, Kelley was seen kicking open the Senate Wing Door, allowing more rioters to enter. He confronted Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman and moved through several areas of the Capitol, including the Ohio Clock Corridor, Crypt, Senate Gallery, and Rotunda, before exiting the building at 2:54 p.m.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
Kelley was arrested on May 5, 2022, in Tennessee. The 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, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The FBI’s Knoxville and Washington Field Offices, along with the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, have been instrumental in the investigation.
In the 46 months since the Capitol breach, over 1,561 individuals from nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the incident, including more than 590 individuals charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Investigations continue as authorities work to bring all responsible parties to justice.
