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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Op-ed writer ignores the brutal toll of Larry Hoover's time as a gang leader
My jaw dropped while reading Jeremy Busby's impassioned plea for Gov. JB Pritzker to free from prison post-haste the notorious 1970s gang leader Larry Hoover ('Pritzker should take page out of Trump's book, free Larry Hoover,' Aug. 7). Busby makes not a single allusion, nor even a hint, at the wholesale destruction, misery and pain of not hundreds, but thousands of African-American families attributable to Hoover's vicious stranglehold on the city's South and West sides in the name of drug warfare for untold years. Has Hoover reformed? Today, is he truly committed to atoning for his past misdeeds in the name of, as Busby insists, improving 'the plight of those in the Black community'? I hope it is so. No person can say what is in another person's heart. But it does not undo the irreversible damage Hoover wrought in the very neighborhoods he now claims to care for. The right call, the only call, is to let Hoover continue his acts for the common good from where he truly belongs — in his jail cell. That would demonstrate more than any other act how much he has changed and to further his campaign for love and Jeremy Busby's op-ed, advocating for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to pardon Larry Hoover for his Illinois crimes: No. No. No. Hoover is a brutal murderer. He was still running the Gangster Disciples and its followers while incarcerated. He is cunning in renaming his criminal organization, leading people to believe it is legitimate. Hoover should never be released from Jeremy Busby forgets to mention in his opinion piece about freeing Larry Hoover is that Hoover was convicted of murder in 1973 for the killing of a 19-year-old drug dealer. For this, he was given 150 to 200 years in regards to the recent op-ed by Jeremy Busby suggesting Larry Hoover be freed by Gov. JB Pritzker because Hoover grew up in a tough environment and the 'organization' he created, the Gangster Disciples, was not only a symbol of empowerment but did good things for the community, I must be missing something. Killing, or ordering the killing of, people; terrorizing communities; and selling poisonous drugs to said communities are good things? How is freedom justified?Mayor Brandon Johnson made an alarming statement in saying that 'we have reached the point of no return' when it comes to Chicago's financial situation. While it's true that the city faces grave challenges — including the mayor's own decision to borrow $830 million for city operations and the mounting $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities — I reject the notion that Chicago is beyond saving. Chicago has always been a city of resilience. We don't give up when things get hard. We organize. We innovate. And we fight for a stronger future. That's exactly why I launched Leading A Better Chicago — a civic engagement initiative dedicated to bringing transparency, accountability and bold action to the city's most pressing challenges. Our goal is to reimagine how we tackle long-standing issues, starting with the city's structural fiscal crisis. Our first step has been to partner with Tusk Philanthropies to commission an in-depth analysis of Chicago's current fiscal state, laying out out a road map of realistic, impactful reforms by examining proven approaches from cities such as New York, Detroit and Philadelphia and adapting them to fit Chicago's unique landscape. It's not just a critique — it's a call to action, rooted in data and informed by what has worked elsewhere. We don't just want to study the problem. We want to solve it. Leading A Better Chicago will pair this research with real-world input from people all across the city. We'll gather feedback from residents, engage with community and business leaders, and tap national policy experts to generate bold, actionable ideas for change. Does the mayor believe that there are no feasible solutions to Chicago's issues, that its leaders have tried everything and failed? I believe we haven't tried enough. What we need now isn't despair but determination. Chicago needs fresh thinking, a willingness to challenge the status quo and, most importantly, serious leadership. Because despite what anyone says, Chicago hasn't reached the point of no return. Chicago is always worth fighting for.I'm pleased to learn that the CTA is working to deal with the problem of ghost buses. I hope that it will now address another vexing issue: erratic bus arrivals. I have lost count of the number of times that I have waited for a bus, only to have two and sometimes three arrive simultaneously, and then I learn from the bus tracker that the next bus is 25 to 30 minutes away. This is not a rare occurrence, and it is not limited to certain times of day. I have encountered this problem on Routes 22, 36, 66 and 151. To make matters more annoying, this bunching sometimes occurs within a mile of the route's starting point. I have read that there are supervisors in the field monitoring bus arrivals. Clearly, this approach is not working. Perhaps a centralized system that allows for direct communication with drivers would be more effective. Trains sometimes bypass stops in order to get back on schedule. Why can't this be done with buses as well?I was sorry to hear about the horrible experience that a disabled traveler had at O'Hare International Airport ('O'Hare failed me,' Aug. 3). Mine was the complete opposite. I, too, require a wheelchair, and the redcap who greeted me at the United terminal entrance, and was told of my wheelchair request, sat me down, retrieved my boarding pass and arranged for a wheelchair. A nice young man came, wheeled me to the gate and informed the crew at the gate of my needs. I was the first to board. Coming home, there was a delay to get my wheelchair, but when the young man arrived, he could not be more considerate. I advised him that I would be taking an Uber. As he wheeled me down toward the luggage pickup, he advised me when to order the car, and he proceeded to stay and wheel me the long distance to the Uber pickup and stay with me until the car arrived. He earned the large tip I gave him and my thanks for being so thoughtful and extending such courtesy. All in all, a great experience at O'Hare.
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Jeremy Busby: Gov. JB Pritzker should take a page out of Donald Trump's book by freeing Larry Hoover
As a Black man, I completely disagree with the 'Make America Great Again' agenda. However, as a political journalist, I completely recognize President Donald Trump's successful blueprint toward recruiting the Black male vote. As a result of assertive actions to correct long-standing injustices within the criminal justice system, Trump has increased his support from Black male voters from 13% in 2016 to 21% in the 2024 election. Trump's blueprint was on full display when he issued a commutation to Chicago native Larry Hoover in May. But Hoover remains locked up on state charges in Illinois — handing Trump an opportunity to one-up his Democratic rivals. Hoover grew up in the impoverished Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. He's always been controversial in the view of government officials, but he's been a staple in the struggle to improve the plight of those in the Black community. During the early 1970s when Black people were plagued with the perilous impacts of unchecked racial injustices, Hoover organized his neighbors to create better living conditions, personal wealth and political power. Forced to navigate America's unfair and corrupt socioeconomic order, he decided to operate outside of society's norms. Hoover formed an organization called the Gangster Disciples, or GDs, to serve as a mechanism for community empowerment. Some of the country's most powerful families today accumulated their wealth by peddling illegal alcohol during the Prohibition era. Similarly, Hoover's GDs got involved in drug distribution. Hoover's dedication to increasing political awareness in the Black community made him a target for government officials, and his participation in drug trafficking justified his incarceration. According to government records, the GDs amassed more than 30,000 members in over 28 states and were responsible for more than $100 million worth of drugs a year in Illinois alone. Like other influential Black leaders such as Malcolm X, Hoover abandoned criminal activity during his incarceration and committed to transforming the GDs into a pure civic improvement group. In addition to changing the name of the organization to Growth and Development, Hoover published a book called 'A Blueprint of a New Concept' that outlined a holistic vision for cleaning up Black communities across the nation. From his prison cell, Hoover started 21st Century V.O.T.E., a legitimate vehicle to incorporate young Black adults into politics, and Save the Children, a community outreach program for Black children. These initiatives, combined with Hoover's repeated disavowal of all criminal activities, have rendered his continued incarceration, after four decades, an unjust continuance of America's history of ostracizing Black leaders from the Black community. By issuing his commutation to Hoover, Trump gained political capital with Black men who have grown tired of the failed policies and broken promises of the Democratic Party to address criminal justice issues. Most Black males I have spoken with understand that Trump's infamous clemency toward people such as Hoover and hip-hop artists Lil Wayne, NBA YoungBoy and Kodak Black is mere political gamesmanship and does little to address the overall problems of mass incarceration of Black people. But sincere or not, these acts of clemency represent more than what the Democrats have offered. The commutation of Hoover's federal sentence and Trump's blueprint are a rare gift to Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who has presidential aspirations for 2028. Pritzker could take executive action and grant Hoover his much awaited and deserved freedom. With the bold stroke of his pen, Pritzker could separate his presidential candidacy from the damaged Democratic Party brand and provide the Black male voting bloc with a viable option during the next election. By taking corrective action to free Hoover, Pritzker could offer clear evidence that he is courageous enough to take measured steps to right a wrong. Millions of Black men in this country have had a negative experience with the criminal justice system. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Black people make up about 41% of the country's incarceration rate, despite being only 14% of the U.S. population. In my home state of Texas, I have watched the positive efforts of Hoover and his Growth and Development organization improve the conditions of numerous Black communities throughout the state. Additionally, I have witnessed the unjust incarceration of countless Black men, like Hoover, who make significant positive contributions to their environment on a daily basis and no longer pose a threat to society. Instead of spending millions searching for a way to counter Trump's appeal to the Black male voting bloc, all members of the Democratic Party have to do is transform their talk into action. Pritzker can begin a new trend by following Trump's blueprint and freeing Hoover. Jeremy Busby is an incarcerated journalist based in Texas. His nonprofit organization, JoinJeremy, is dedicated to advancing the works of incarcerated journalists and writers across the country.
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Apparently fake clemency letter for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover sent to Gov. JB Pritzker
Weeks after President Donald Trump commuted the federal life sentence of Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover, a letter arrived at the offices of Gov. JB Pritzker that appeared to be Hoover's final push for freedom: asking for clemency in his state murder case. At first glance, the petition, which was stamped as received by the governor's office on June 16, would seem to be a legitimate plea from Hoover himself, using the same language about atonement and redemption that the imprisoned gang leader has used in numerous previous requests for parole and clemency from the courts. But a closer inspection revealed some tell-tale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, might be a fake. For one, it was purportedly sent June 5 from the 'supermax' prison in Florence, Colorado where Hoover, 74, had been housed for the past three decades. But Hoover had in fact been released from that facility days prior due to Trump's clearing of his federal sentence on May 29. Another clue: the stationery used in the three-page letter had a quote at the bottom often attributed to the medieval fraternal organization known as freemasons, along with one of the group's insignias depicting a square and compass. Hoover's attorneys say he never would have had access to such stationery in the high-security environment in Florence, where use of any insignias is banned. When the Tribune reached out to lead Hoover attorney Justin Moore on Wednesday, he said he had suspicions about the authenticity of the letter but could not say for certain that Hoover had not sent it. On Wednesday evening, Moore confirmed on social media that the petition was sent without the knowledge or consent of Hoover's legal team and is believed to be a forgery. 'I was just informed that there was a fake clemency petition sent to the Governor of Illinois with Larry Hoover's name forged on it,' Moore wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'I've already had one media outlet contact me about this. No one from my office, nor any other retained attorney by Larry Hoover assisted with this.' Moore said Thursday he was still investigating its origins and hoped to talk to Hoover about it soon. A spokesman for Pritzker's office had no comment on the document Thursday. The apparently fake clemency request may be a blip in Hoover's ongoing legal saga, but it's also an indication of the lasting mystique that continues to follow one of Chicago's most notorious gang leaders even though he's been behind bars for more than 50 years. The letter obtained by the Tribune had been received Monday by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, which reviews all requests for clemency and makes recommendations to the governor. Pritzker, who formally announced Thursday he will run for a third term, has previously commented that any clemency requests from Hoover would be treated the same as any other prisoner. 'We have a process in the state of Illinois,' Pritzker told reporters soon after Trump's commutation of Hoover's federal sentence. 'If you want to seek commutation or pardon, you go through a process. First you apply through the Prisoner Review Board, and then the Prisoner Review Board makes a recommendation to the governor.' Pritzker said it was important to make decisions based on a full record, after interviewing not only the prisoner but also their family, friends as well as victims or victims' relatives. 'I have, as you know, had pardons and commutations, hundreds of them during the course of my administration, and they all — every single one of them has involved that kind of a record,' Pritzker said. Hoover's other avenue to freedom would be the granting of parole, a decision made by the Prisoner Review Board. His most recent bid for parole fell short last year, though he's allowed to renew his request next year, records show. Once one of the nation's largest street gangs, the Gangster Disciples became a major criminal force under Hoover's leadership, with operations that spread to dozens of U.S. cities and were as sophisticated as many legitimate corporations, including a strict code of conduct for members and a franchise-style system for drug sales. Hoover was convicted in state court in 1973 of the murder of William Young, one of Hoover's gang underlings who was shot to death that same year after he and others had stolen from gang stash houses. He was sentenced to 200 years in prison. In the early 1990s, before Hoover was charged in federal court, former Chicago Mayor Eugene Sawyer lobbied the IDOC parole board on his behalf, arguing that Hoover could help stem Chicago's street violence if he were allowed to return home, the Tribune reported at the time. Hoover was indicted in federal court in 1995 on charges he continued to oversee the murderous drug gang's reign of terror from prison. He was convicted on 40 criminal counts in 1997, and then-U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sentenced him to the mandatory term of life. For years, Hoover had been housed in solitary confinement at the supermax prison in Colorado, which counts a number of high-profile and notorious detainees, including Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, Sept. 11 terrorist attack plotter Zacarias Moussaoui, and Jeff Fort, the Chicago gang leader who founded the El Rukns. Federal prosecutors vehemently opposed any breaks for Hoover, arguing he did untold damage to communities across Chicago during his reign on the streets. They argued he has continued to hold sway over the gang's hierarchy while imprisoned, even promoting an underling he'd secretly communicated with through coded messages hidden in a dictionary. Hoover's attorneys, meanwhile, have claimed that decades behind bars have left him a changed man and that prosecutors have unfairly painted him as a puppet master to try to keep him locked up. At a hearing last year, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey asked Hoover's defense attorney point-blank: 'How many other murders is he responsible for?' 'I don't know what the methodology is for determining that,' attorney Bonjean replied, somewhat taken aback by the unusually blunt query. 'So many we can't count?' Blakey shot back. Days after Trump commuted his federal sentence, Hoover was transferred out of the supermax prison in Florence and is currently being housed in the Colorado state Department of Corrections system, though his exact whereabouts are not public.
Chicago Tribune
24-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Indicted on fraud charges, ex-Loretto Hospital exec wages bizarre PR campaign from Dubai
The press release over the weekend announcing the latest project by Dr. Anosh Ahmed touted him as a Chicago-based entrepreneur determined to break the cycle of poverty by bringing high-tech jobs to the city's historically underserved West Side. In a bio attached to the release, Ahmed is described as the former chief operating officer of an unnamed hospital, who expanded services and 'led initiatives in patient care and access' that boosted health care 'for those most in need.' There were, however, a few things the news release failed to cover — chief among them that Ahmed has been indicted in one of largest Chicago-area health care fraud cases in recent memory. Ahmed, a former executive at Loretto Hospital in the city's Austin neighborhood, was first hit with embezzlement charges last year alleging he and other hospital executives, including the then-CEO, stole more than $15 million from the small, safety net facility through a fraudulent billing scheme. Last week, prosecutors filed a new indictment alleging that after he left Loretto in 2021, Ahmed used his connections there to orchestrate a massive conspiracy to collect nearly $300 million for COVID-19 tests that were never performed. And while the news release, dated Sunday, claimed Ahmed is still based in Chicago, he actually fled to Dubai before the first charges were filed and has not returned to answer to either case. A warrant for his arrest remained active as of this week, court records show. The news release was the latest in a strange public relations campaign that appears aimed at rebuilding Ahmed's image and possibly courting the attention of President Donald Trump, who has recently granted executive clemency in a number of notable Chicago-area cases, from Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Distributed by Globe Newswire, an international online public relations service, the release included a media contact identified as Meghan Trump. The phone number listed turned out to be the main switchboard for the Trump International Hotel in Chicago, where Ahmed used to own a condo. A spokeswoman for the hotel said Monday there was no Meghan Trump who works there and she was unaware that someone had listed the hotel's number on a press release about an unrelated real estate project. Ahmed's lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment. The apparently phony media contact was hardly Trump-related overture in the release. The very first paragraph of the document describes Ahmed as a 'Republican leader,' and said he is 'progressing with plans to transform a vacant warehouse on Chicago's West Side into a cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation hub,' in coordination with the Trump administration's 'latest pro-crypto policy direction.' 'The project is designed to stimulate job creation, education, and long-term economic development in an area that has faced decades of underinvestment,' the release stated. 'This isn't just about crypto—it's about building a future economy right here in our community. We're bringing opportunity where it's long been denied.' The release does not specify the location of the purported 100,000-square-foot warehouse, saying only that it has been vacant for more than a decade. Peter Strazzabosco, the deputy commissioner of the city's Planning and Development Department, told the Tribune on Tuesday that department staff was 'not aware of this proposed project.' Other flattering news releases put out over the past year describe Ahmed as a 'billionaire agripreneur' based in Dubai and dedicated to philanthropic causes, including donating millions of pounds of food to the needy in Lebanon. 'I hope to inspire families and professionals worldwide to create a legacy that makes positive ripples in the world at large,' Ahmed was quoted as saying on his web site. The marketing blitz seems right in the wheelhouse for Ahmed, a native of Pakistan and consummate self-promoter who during the early days of the pandemic was hailed for his work on the front lines of the city's testing and vaccination efforts. That spotlight intensified in March 2021, after the hospital was chosen by the city as the first vaccination site in Chicago and hosted Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as he signed a health care bill into law. But scandal soon erupted after officials at Loretto, including Ahmed, were accused of improperly doling out COVID-19 vaccinations soon after the shots became available. In 2021, following reporting by Block Club Chicago and WBEZ, Loretto admitted it had improperly vaccinated workers at Trump Tower and also improperly gave shots to Cook County judges at a time when the vaccines were still scarce. Ahmed, the then-chief operating officer of Loretto, also reportedly posed for photos with a smiling Eric Trump and sent text messages bragging that he had vaccinated the president's son, whom he touted as a 'cool guy.' Ahmed resigned from his position in 2021 after the hospital's board voted to terminate him. After leaving Loretto, Ahmed moved back to his hometown of Houston, where he started Anosh Inc., a global real estate and 'crypto' investment firm that claims to have more than $1.5 billion in assets around the world, according to court and online records. Its sister foundation sponsors charitable programs like Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and school supply drives for needy children, records show. Behind the veneer of philanthropy, however, prosecutors allege most of Ahmed's professional life was built on fraud. According to a superseding indictment filed last year, from 2018 to 2022, Ahmed and his associates, including then-Loretto CEO George Miller, Ahmed's good friend Sameer Suhail, and Heather Bergdahl, a former Loretto executive, caused the cash-strapped hospital to issue more than $15 million in payments to vendor companies for purported goods and services that they knew had not been provided. Many of the phony vendor companies were created by Ahmed under various names to conceal their association with the fraudulent payments, which were sent to bank accounts the defendants controlled, the indictment stated. Last week, Ahmed was charged in a new 24-count indictment with wire fraud, illegal kickbacks and other financial crimes. According to the new indictment, from April 2021 to June 2022, Ahmed and his co-conspirators used laboratories they opened in Illinois and Texas to submit false claims to the Health Resources and Services Administration for COVID testing of specimens 'purportedly collected from uninsured individuals, knowing that such testing had not occurred.' In all, the false claims sought reimbursement for nearly $895 million, of which more than $293 million was actually paid, the indictment stated. To further the scheme, after Ahmed left Loretto Hospital in April 2021, he had a hospital executive identified as Individual F to obtain a spreadsheet containing personal identifiers — including names, dates of birth, gender and addresses — collected from more than 150,000 Loretto patient visits between July 2014 and June 2020, the indictment alleged. Similar personal information was collected from patients who ordered COVID-19 antigen at-home test kits from an internet site run by his friend and co-defendant, Mahmood Sami Khan, as well as individuals who provided it 'for the purpose of receiving further information about COVID-19,' the indictment stated. The indictment alleged Ahmed used a variety of methods to try to conceal the scheme, including by having Individual F create a new email address with Loretto's domain name to 'create the false appearance that Ahmed was working on behalf of (Loretto)' and that the hospital was reporting test results to patients, the indictment alleged. Ahmed also created a number of false and backdated invoices to minimize his involvement with the various labs, communicated in encrypted messaging apps and ordered co-schemers to replace phones and destroy communications and other documents relating to the scheme, the indictment stated. While the indictment does not identify Individual F, information included in court records show it is Bergdahl. Prosecutors alleged Ahmed funded a lavish lifestyle with the fraud proceeds. The most recent indictment sought forfeiture in more than $100 million in cash and securities in various accounts controlled by Ahmed, as well as seizure of four luxury properties in Texas, and vehicles including two Rolls-Royces, a Lamborghini Huracan and a Mercedes Benz. Miller, who left the hospital amid the fallout in 2022, is cooperating and is expected to plead guilty. Suhail is also believed to be living in Dubai, where he traveled before his indictment. Bergdahl, meanwhile, was arrested after boarding a private jet in Houston that was bound for Dubai. She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Two of Ahmed's co-defendants in the case filed last week, Khan and Suhaib Ahmad Chaudhry, were arrested in Houston and released on bond pending appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago, court records show. The third, Mohamed Sirajudeen, agreed to turn himself in. Cook County real estate records show Ahmed in 2022 had used his 43rd-floor condo at Trump Tower as collateral for a $14 million loan from Sirajudeen. Ahmed later sold the unit to Sirajudeen, who sold it again in December to another Chicago doctor for $2 million, records show. As the cases go forward, t's unclear if Ahmed will ever return to the U.S. to face the charges. While there is no formal extradition treaty between the U.S. and United Arab Emirates, the country's have coordinated on extradition matters on a case-by-case basis in the past. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office had no comment Monday on any possible negotiations to get Ahmed back to Chicago.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
R. Kelly's attorneys ask Trump to set him free from prison, accuse feds of plotting to kill him
R. Kelly's attorneys on Tuesday asked President Trump to help them get him freed from federal custody, accusing authorities of plotting steal his mail in order to pressure witnesses to testify against him, and later recruited a white supremacist to kill him in prison. Kelly's attorneys filed an emergency motion on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago, claiming his life is in danger as he serves a 30-year prison sentence for various sex crimes. They also made a plea to President Trump, asking him to free Kelly immediately. "R. Kelly's life is now threatened, because of his willingness to fight and to expose the very kind of corruption that President Trump has been fighting and standing up to since the day he took that office," Kelly's attorney, Beau Brindley, said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "We will ask President Trump to help us." Last month, President Trump commuted the sentence of notorious Gangster Disciples co-founder Larry Hoover, and has said he might consider pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is currently on trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. In February, he pardoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, five years after commuting his sentence on corruption charges. Brindley said he does not plan to go through the normal clemency process to seek a pardon for Kelly from the president, but wants to ask the president directly. "We are seeking a conversation with the president, because R. Kelly does not have the time, with his life in danger, to go through the normal channels," Brindley said. "We are seeking talks with the White House. We are seeking talks with everybody who is willing to help us." The motion claims Kelly's former cellmate at the federal lockup in Chicago conspired with prison officials to steal his mail and turn them over to prosecutors before his trial on child pornography charges, in order to pit Kelly's former girlfriend against him. Kelly's attorneys also claim he recently received a call from a Bureau of Prison s official who told him he was not safe behind bars, and "should avoid the mess hall" du to the possibility of his food being poisoned. One fellow inmate at the prison where Kelly is being held in North Carolina, who is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, claimed federal prison officials transferred him to that prison asked him to kill Kelly, according to the motion filed by Kelly's attorneys. Kelly's attorneys claim federal authorities told that inmate they would help him avoid a conviction for Kelly's murder by allowing him to escape from prison, as he had once before. Kelly's defense team also claims that inmate told federal authorities he was willing to kill Kelly, but instead told him the truth, and warned him that his life was in danger. Federal prosecutors moved to have Kelly's filing sealed after his attorneys revealed the name of one of his victims in their motion. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing from Kelly's attorneys. Kelly, 58, was convicted in 2022 in Chicago of child pornography charges, accused of making videos of himself sexually abusing three teenage girls, including his 14-year-old goddaughter. The same jury acquitted Kelly of seven other charges, including obstruction of justice, accusing him and two associates of rigging his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County. Brindley represented Kelly's former manager, Derrel McDavid, during that trial, and is now working for Kelly. Meantime, a federal jury in New York convicted Kelly of racketeering and sex trafficking charges in 2021, finding him guilty of running a criminal enterprise to sexually exploit young women and children. Federal appeals courts have upheld both convictions. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the New York case, and most of his 20-year sentence in the Chicago case is running concurrently to that prison term. The singer is serving his prison sentence at a medium-security federal correctional center in Butner, North Carolina, and is expected to be released on Dec. 21, 2045, when he would be nearly 79 years old.
