Knoxville man pleads guilty in conspiracy to kill FBI agents, faces 10 years in prison
A 27-year-old Knoxville man arrested in a plan hatched by a Jan. 6, 2021 insurrectionist to murder FBI agents has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States.
Austin Carter and co-defendant Edward Kelley, 33, were facing charges of conspiracy, retaliating against a federal officer, interstate threats and solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
The alleged plot to attack the Knoxville Federal Bureau of Investigation office and kill law enforcement officers stems from Kelley's May 2022 arrest after he allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and breach of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
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A plot to assassinate FBI agents led to Carter's arrest
Kelley had obtained a list of law enforcement officers involved in his D.C. criminal investigation, and met with Carter in early December to discuss assassination missions that would target federal agents.
Federal prosecutors stated in a criminal complaint that Kelley and Carter planned to carry out attacks against the Knoxville FBI office if either one got arrested, and Kelley provided Carter with a list of federal employees.
At a detention hearing, prosecutor Casey Arrowood said Carter owned multiple weapons, including an AR-15, a shotgun and a Glock, and posed an "extreme" danger to law enforcement.
Carter could have been sentenced to life in prison, but the plea agreement calls for a maximum sentence of 10 years, court records show. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
Kelley, meanwhile, is set for a pretrial conference on the conspiracy case in January. His attorney is looking to resolve both his cases, however, and is set for a status hearing in the insurrection case on Dec. 20, court records state.
Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville man pleads guilty, faces 10 years in FBI murder plot
