Federal Judge Denies R. Kelly Prison Release Amid Murder Plot Claims

Federal judge Martha M. Pacold denied R. Kelly's emergency request for release from federal prison to home detention, citing a lack of jurisdiction since Kelly is incarcerated in Butner, North Carolina, outside the judge's district. Kelly's legal team alleged that prison officials plotted to have him killed by enlisting an Aryan Brotherhood member and retaliated by overdosing him on medication and denying necessary surgery. Prosecutors dismissed these claims as baseless, describing them as "fanciful conspiracy" and "deeply unserious." Despite Kelly's attorneys' arguments about threats to his life and harsh conditions, the court ruled that such matters must be brought in North Carolina through civil rights or habeas corpus petitions. Kelly is serving concurrent 20- and 30-year sentences for racketeering, sex trafficking, and child pornography convictions, with an expected release in 2045. His legal team plans to continue seeking relief, including filing a motion for a new trial and emergency bail.