R&B singer Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R. Kelly, is seeking emergency release from federal custody, citing an alleged assassination plot involving prison officials and gang members. In a motion filed on Tuesday, Kelly’s legal team asked a U.S. federal court to grant him house arrest, claiming that his life is no longer safe inside the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona.
Kelly, 57, is currently serving a 31-year prison sentence after being convicted of multiple charges related to sex trafficking, racketeering, and child pornography in two separate trials in New York and Chicago.
Inmate Alleges Murder Plot
The latest motion includes a sworn affidavit from fellow inmate Mikeal Glenn Stine, who claims he was approached by three prison officials and senior members of the Aryan Brotherhood gang and was ordered to kill R. Kelly. Stine, who is reportedly suffering from terminal cancer, alleges that he was promised early release if he carried out the attack.
According to the court filing, Stine was allegedly placed in the same unit as Kelly and told by a prison official, “You need to do what you came here for.” Instead, Stine claims he informed Kelly of the plot and now says he’s willing to take a lie detector test and name other inmates he’s assaulted in the past to establish credibility.
“Cruel and Unusual Punishment,” Lawyer Says
Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, described the situation as dangerous and unconstitutional. “We are seeking the immediate release of R. Kelly, based on the solicitation of his murder by high-ranking BOP officers and officials,” he said during a press conference.
“He is not safe in federal custody. To keep him in prison under such credible threats is cruel and unusual punishment,” Brindley added.
The defense also announced plans to reach out to former U.S. President Donald Trump for possible intervention, though it's unclear what legal authority Trump could exert in the case at this point.
Ongoing Legal Fallout
Kelly’s imprisonment followed years of accusations and legal battles. After his arrest in 2019, he was found guilty in 2021 of operating a criminal enterprise that preyed on women and underage girls. In 2022, he was again convicted—this time in his hometown of Chicago—for producing child pornography and coercing minors into sexual activity. He was sentenced to 20 years, with most of that time running concurrently with his earlier 30-year sentence.
Before his legal troubles, Kelly was one of the most commercially successful R&B artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with hits like “Ignition (Remix)”, “I Believe I Can Fly”, and “Step in the Name of Love.”
Bureau of Prisons Yet to Respond
As of the time of reporting, the United States Bureau of Prisons has not issued an official response to the allegations or the emergency motion.
The court is now tasked with reviewing the claims and determining whether Kelly’s current incarceration conditions warrant a rare move to house arrest for a convicted federal inmate. Legal analysts note that such requests are typically denied unless overwhelming evidence of imminent danger is presented.
For now, R. Kelly’s future hangs in the balance—not just legally, but possibly for his personal safety.