In a turn of events just days past the third anniversary of the 2021 Capitol riot, Hammond native Kash Lee Kelly, aged 34, has been sprung from the clink, having done time for his part in the chaotic breach of federal grounds. According to the Chicago Tribune, Kelly was collared on charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct, but a plea deal last November let him skate with a 60-day bid and a $500 tab for parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.
Kelly hit social media hard upon his release boasting a new Facebook account and a short clip for his followers where he declared, "I just want to let everybody know this is the official real Facebook I'm out, I'm free, I'll be seeing you all very soon, Love you all, God bless, Unite don’t fight," the Tribune reports. The man's earlier stint behind bars, a four-year term for a drug rap involving coke and pot as part of the Latin Kings was already weighing down his record by the time his Capitol charges came knocking.
Over 890 individuals are in the same boat as Kelly, having been convicted for the insurrection with a tally exceeding 1,200 charged for their actions in the riot, says BNN Breaking. Court docs from the FBI lay out the snitch tips and Facebook pics that put Kelly at the scene, climbing walls and cheesing next to statuary inside the Capitol with captions laying out his disdain for the "Traitors" driving the country's divide.
Even as he turns the page, Kelly's ambitions lean towards independent journalism and social media influencing, a pivot supported by a fundraising effort scraping together cash to get him started however the campaign has managed a meager $350 of its $5,000 goal, according to BNN Breaking. Remaining steadfast, Kelly holds skepticism over the 2020 election's legitimacy although he admits his views have mellowed saying, "Today, I still don’t believe that the election was fair I still feel the same way, just not as extreme, I guess" in a Post-Tribune interview from May 2022.
