R Kelly's lawyers seek release from custody over claims prison officials are trying to have him killed
Kelly, 58, is currently serving a 30-year and a 20-year sentence concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Butner Medium I in Butner, North Carolina, on racketeering, sex trafficking, and child sex crimes.
On Tuesday, Kelly's lawyers filed an emergency motion for him to be removed from federal detention, claiming his 'life is in jeopardy.'
The filing, seen by multiple outlets, alleges that three Bureau of Prisons officials solicited another inmate to kill Kelly.
It includes a sworn declaration from the terminally ill inmate, Mikeal Glenn Stine, claiming that three high-ranking BOP officials asked him to carry out the murder while he was in custody at the United States Penitentiary Tucson, Arizona.
Stine, a self-identified member of the Aryan Brotherhood, claims the officials offered him the opportunity to escape custody and live out his final months as a 'free man' in exchange for Kelly's murder.
The filing further adds that once Stine was transferred to Kelly's unit in March, he was approached by one of the officials, who allegedly told him: 'You need to do what you came here for.'
Stine claims that after watching Kelly for a few months, he had a change of heart before confessing to the singer his alleged murder plot.
Kelly's attorneys allege that they were made aware in June of a second member of the Aryan Brotherhood whom officials directed to execute both Kelly and Stine.
'The threat to Mr. Kelly's life continues each day that no action is taken,' the filing states. 'More A.B. members are accumulating at his facility. More than one has already been approached about carrying out his murder. One of them will surely do what Mr. Stine has not, thereby burying the truth about what happened in this case along with Robert Kelly.'
It adds: 'Mr. Kelly's continued incarceration while he knows his life is in jeopardy constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.'
The Independent has contacted the Bureau of Prisons for comment.
This isn't the first time the 'Ignition' singer's lawyer has petitioned for his immediate release over concerns for his safety. In 2020, Kelly was attacked in his sleep by a fellow inmate at Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center.
At the time, his attorney requested his release, arguing that 'the government cannot ensure his safety.' However, the request was denied.
Kelly was first jailed in 2020 for 30 years after he was convicted of eight counts of sex trafficking and one of racketeering in a New York Court.
Months later, he stood trial in Chicago on 13 charges of child pornography, obstruction of justice, and more. He was found guilty of six of the charges, which included three counts of coercing minors into illegal sexual activity as well as three counts of creating pornography that showed him abusing a minor. In 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crimes.
The judge ruled that Kelly could serve out his 20-year sentence concurrently with his 30-year sentence.
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