R. Kelly has moved to a federal prison in North Carolina. He was previously serving his 20-year sentence in Chicago, where he was convicted on three counts of production of child pornography and three counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. He is also serving a 30-year sentence on racketeering and sex trafficking charges from New York.
While federal officials typically don’t reveal the reasons for an inmate relocation out of respect for their privacy and safety, Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s lawyer, addressed the move in a statement. “Kelly was moved to Butner FCI which is a medium security facility,” Bonjean revealed. “He continues to suffer from health issues caused by medical negligence at the MCC Chicago. We are hopeful that Butner will ensure that his medical needs are met.”
R. Kelly Arriving At Court
The relocation comes after attorneys for the disgraced singer filed to appeal his federal racketeering conviction, last week. They argued that the charge was for “alleged misdeeds going back decades without pesky statutes of limitations obstacles.” The legal team also argued that members of the jury watched the docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly. “Numerous seated jurors were either familiar with accusations that Defendant had a history of sexually abusing underage girls, had previously faced legal problems, and/or had seen the highly unflattering docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, in which several government witnesses had appeared,” they said in the filing. “Defense counsel did not move to disqualify jurors who admitted they had prejudged Defendant’s guilt or had gathered knowledge about the case from other sources.”
As of now, Kelly will serve the remainder of his sentence at Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina. The facility has been home to many infamous criminals including Bernie Madoff, the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, John Hinckley Jr., and Joe Exotic. He will be eligible for release from prison when he is 80 years old.
[Via]