Federal prosecutors on Tuesday said they plan to drop a case against a man accused of entering the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riot.
In a court filing, prosecutors told the judge that evidence did not support the charges against Christopher Kelly of New York for allegedly entering the Capitol and obstructing Congress as lawmakers attempted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“The government and defense counsel have discussed the merits of the case and upon reflection of the facts currently known to the government, the government believes that dismissal without prejudice at this time serves the interest of justice,” they wrote.
A federal judge had not immediately signed off on the case dismissal Tuesday and Kelly’s attorney declined to provide further information.
Kelly was arrested Jan. 20 after the FBI said a paid confidential informant told agents Kelly posted about the riot and his plans to be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 on the Facebook Messenger app.
“I believe the messages and image … reflect that Chris Kelly was using this account to inform associates that he had breached the Capitol and was inside,” the FBI said.
The court document included photos of Kelly attending a rally on the Capitol grounds but did not include further evidence he actually entered the building amid the riot, such as photos of him inside.
DOJ is moving to dismiss charges against Jan. 6 defendant Chris Kelly, which is a first. The filing is light on details, says prosecutors based the decision "upon reflection of the facts currently known to the government." Here's the original complaint: https://t.co/USgWwkC4AC pic.twitter.com/oJ9VmfYhy8
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) June 1, 2021
Kelly’s case also did not include cellphone data indicating he was inside the Capitol building, as was provided for other defendants.
The decision Tuesday is one of the first moves taken so far to resolve the nearly 500 cases related to the Jan. 6 riot.
In addition to prosecutors requesting to drop Kelly’s case, two defendants including a member of the far-right group known as the Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty.
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Did they uncover mitigating circumstances like: he was a Democrat, member of ANTIFA, supported BLM?
More than likely. IF He was a ‘right winger’, they’d be still PUSHING to hang him…
1. The Oath Keepers are not “far-right.” They are patriots who have kept their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution.
2. I hope that this innocent Trump supporter, and all the others currently kept in solitary confinement, sues the DOJ for everything he can get, for: unlawful arrest, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment under color of law, and all the other illegal acts resulting from unlawful arrests and imprisonment.
TO the letists, ANYONE Demanding folks ‘keep their oaths’, is a “FAR right winger”… SINCE TO THEM oaths are meaningless.
If they do sue, I wonder where the money will come from?
Since the DOJ don’t print their own We The People will pay the cost.
I wasn’t even there..
Trump never entered the building either, but that did not stop the demented Democrats from one more impeachment try regardless of lack of evidence. Sooner or later the corrupt media lies are exposed, usually too late to save an honest election where the media always dishonestly accuses now before the vote count, but always has to apologize later, after the election is stolen. Their own get out of jail free cards are infinite apparently where honest individuals have to defund themselves of their personal property to clear their honest names. Just one more way the American traitors have devised to redistribute your wealth, and strip you of the very personl property that stands between you and their attempts to steal your freedoms.
Chris Kelly was from New York, a bastion of liberalism. Was he a Democrat?
It would be interesting to learn how many people the FBI are pursuing that took part in the riots in Kenosha, Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis. My guess would be very few.
MY Guess.. NOT a damn single one…