R. Kelly’s lawyers seek his urgent release, claiming prison officials enlisted inmates to kill him and violated attorney-client privilege.
R. Kelly’s legal team has filed an emergency motion seeking his immediate release from federal prison, claiming that his life is in imminent danger due to an alleged murder plot orchestrated by prison officials.
According to Variety, the filing submitted to federal court requests that Kelly be placed under house arrest as a temporary measure to ensure his safety.
The motion includes a sworn declaration from Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill inmate and known Aryan Brotherhood member, who alleges that officials at the federal penitentiary in North Carolina offered him early release in exchange for murdering Kelly.
Stine claimed he was told that Kelly and his attorneys were planning to expose government misconduct, including violations of attorney-client privilege through the interception of personal legal correspondence.
Despite initially agreeing to the plan, Stine says he ultimately changed his mind and instead informed Kelly about the plot. He further claims that in June, another Aryan Brotherhood member was approached by officials with similar instructions to kill both him and Kelly.
Kelly’s lawyers argue that multiple Brotherhood members now housed at the facility continue to pose a significant threat to Kelly’s life.
According to the legal filing, “The threat to Mr. Kelly’s life continues each day that no action is taken. More A.B. members are accumulating at his facility. One of them will surely do what Mr. Stine has not.” The defense team insists that failing to act could result in Kelly’s death and the burial of key truths about the case.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is currently serving a 30-year sentence following his 2021 conviction on racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
He was also sentenced to an additional 20 years in a separate 2023 case, with most of that sentence set to run concurrently. In February 2024, a federal appeals court upheld his convictions and original sentence, rejecting claims of insufficient evidence and judicial error.
Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, has urged the court to grant the temporary release. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet commented on the allegations.
Source Variety
