R Kelly files request for release from prison citing murder plot against him
In a filing submitted on Tuesday, Kelly's legal team claims that his safety is at risk. The motion alleges that three officials from the Bureau of Prisons attempted to recruit another inmate to murder the singer.
The claim includes a sworn statement from Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill inmate who identifies as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Stine said that while incarcerated at USP Tucson in Arizona, three senior prison officials offered him a deal: assassinate Kelly in exchange for a chance to escape custody and live out his remaining days as a free man.
'The threat to Mr Kelly's life continues each day that no action is taken,' the filing states. 'More AB 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 goes on to say: 'Mr Kelly's continued incarceration while he knows his life is in jeopardy constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.'
Stine alleges that after being transferred to the same unit as Kelly in March, he was confronted with a reminder of the plot.
'You need to do what you came here for,' he was allegedly told by prison officials.
Stine says he reconsidered after months of observing Kelly, eventually confessing the alleged plot directly to him.
Currently serving concurrent 30- and 20-year prison terms at the Butner Medium I federal correctional institution in North Carolina, Kelly was convicted on charges including racketeering, child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. He has been incarcerated since 2020 following his conviction in a New York.
Sign up to First Thing
Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters
after newsletter promotion
Kelly's attorneys say they were informed in June that another Aryan Brotherhood member had been instructed to kill both Kelly and Stine.
This isn't the first time Kelly has tried to secure a release on the grounds of inadequate safety. In 2020, while awaiting trial in Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center, he was assaulted in his cell by another inmate. His lawyers at the time argued that the government could not adequately protect him and called for his release, but the motion was ultimately denied.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
So was Lucy Connolly really such a danger that she had to spend a year behind bars? JAN MOIR
After serving 40 per cent of her 31-month sentence, Lucy Connolly walked free from prison on Thursday morning. Remember Lucy? She was found guilty of sending hate crime tweets in the immediate aftermath of the Southport attacks last year, in which three little girls were murdered and others stabbed and injured at a Taylor Swift dance class.
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Father of Celtics' Jaylen Brown charged with attempted murder
August 22 - Quenton Marselles Brown, the father of Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, was arrested following a stabbing in Las Vegas on Wednesday and charged with attempted murder. The elder Brown had his first court appearance on Thursday, when his bail was set at $300,000, according to multiple reports. Per an arrest report, the incident took place in a parking lot outside a Las Vegas park. A man and his girlfriend were sitting in their car when an SUV parked beside them. Someone exiting the SUV allegedly dinged the door of the car in the adjacent spot, prompting a confrontation. The victim's girlfriend told police that the man purported to be Brown "briskly walked after (the victim) while producing (an) unknown object from his right side." He swung his arm and struck the victim in the back before hitting him several times in the stomach. Brown's attorney told Las Vegas television station KSNV that his client acted in self-defense. They claimed that Brown was hit over the head with a gun, which was not in the police report. Brown was a professional boxer who became the World Boxing Union (WBU) world champion in 2016. Multiple stories about his boxing days list him as 7 feet tall. --Field Level Media
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
6 bodies are recovered from a Colorado dairy. Authorities suspect an accident involving gas exposure
Six people died at a dairy on the Colorado plains from an apparent accident involving exposure to gas, authorities said Thursday. The dead are all male and Hispanic, said Jolene Weiner, chief deputy coroner for Weld County. Their identities were being withheld pending notification of the families. 'We are investigating these deaths as the possible consequence of gas exposure in a confined space,' Weiner said. Autopsies are planned and investigators are looking into what kind of gases may have played a role in the deaths. The dairy, Prospect Valley Dairy, is located along a rural road near Keenesburg, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northeast of Denver. Crews entered a confined space at the dairy on Wednesday and recovered the bodies, the Southeast Weld Fire Protection District said. Weld County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Melissa Chesmore said her agency didn't find anything criminal in nature. 'It looks like an accident,' she said. She didn't elaborate on the nature of the emergency or say where exactly the bodies were found, referring questions to occupational safety regulators. Chauntra Rideaux, a U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson, said in an email that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating and that more information would be available after it's complete. Dairy Farmers of America said a 'tragic accident' occurred at a member farm in Keenesburg that resulted in the deaths of six people. "We are deeply saddened by this incident, and our thoughts and most sincere condolences go out to the friends and families of the deceased. At this early stage, we have no further details,' the cooperative of dairy farmers said in a statement. County tax records say the property is owned by Prospect Valley Dairy LLC and list a Bakersfield, California, address for the owners. Phone messages left for a number at the California address were not immediately returned. The dairy has a milking parlor 32,500 square feet (3,000 square meters) in size, according to county recordss. It also has two free stall barns, one built in 2017 that is more than 450,000 square feet (nearly 42,000 square meters) and another built last year that is more than 100,000 square feet (more than 9,000 square meters). Keenesburg's website says it's a town of 2,000 people in a growing area 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Denver International Airport. It says it offers small town living with the convenience of nearby amenities. Weld County more broadly is a major agricultural producer. Three-quarters of its land is devoted to farming and raising livestock. It's Colorado's leading dairy producer and the state's biggest source of beef cattle, grain and sugar beets. Census data from 2020 says 30% of the county was Hispanic or Latino, compared to 22% for the state overall. More than 14% of the county spoke Spanish at home. ___ Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico and McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press Writer Corey Williams contributed from Detroit.
