A man charged in connection with the January 6 riots at the United States Capitol has been indicted on charges of conspiring with a second man to kill the FBI agents investigating him.
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Edward Kelley, the 33-year-old January 6 defendant, and Austin Carter, 26, are both charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, solicitation of a crime of violence and making threats across state lines.
"Today's allegations that individuals sought to attack and hurt or kill FBI personnel are sickening," FBI director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
"FBI employees honourably perform their duties protecting the American public and upholding the Constitution and they should be able to execute these duties without threats of violence,"
Both men were ordered detained during an initial court appearance in US District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday.
An attorney representing the men could not be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday evening.
Prosecutors say Kelley and Carter obtained a list of federal agents taking part in the investigation into Kelley and discussed plans to kill them with a co-operating witness.
The co-operating witness was not identified in the court papers.
The two men are also accused of discussing with the co-operating witness a possible attack on the FBI's field office in Knoxville.
Kelley is among hundreds of defendants who have been charged in connection with the violent January 6 protests at the US Capitol as Congress met to certify President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory over incumbent Donald Trump.
He is charged with physically assaulting a US Capitol police officer and breaking a window of the building to gain entry.
Kelley has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Australian Associated Press
