R&B artist R. Kelly has filed an urgent appeal for immediate release from prison, claiming his life is in jeopardy due to a targeted murder-for-hire scheme.
According to court records obtained by TMZ on Wednesday, June 11, the singer’s lawyers filed an emergency motion outlining the alleged scheme.
Kelly, who is currently serving a 30-year sentence in a North Carolina jail, has revealed details of a horrific scheme involving prison officials and another inmate. His defenders claim that Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally sick Aryan Brotherhood gang leader, revealed the diabolical plan.
Stine alleged in a sworn affidavit that a Bureau of Prisons official agreed to release him if he killed Kelly. The alleged bargain apparently included hiding evidence, moving Stine to another facility, and organizing his final escape. Stine acknowledged to approaching Kelly in March with the aim of carrying out the hit but later reconsidered.
Instead, Stine chose to inform Kelly of the plot and report it to the authorities. However, the threat did not end there. Kelly’s attorneys stated that another Aryan Brotherhood member has since been tasked with targeting both Kelly and Stine, with additional assassins allegedly prepared to follow through.
Fearing for his safety, Kelly has escalated the matter by filing a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. Stine has expressed his willingness to take a lie detector test and testify in court to substantiate his claims.
The artist’s lawyers have urged authorities to take immediate action to ensure Kelly’s safety while investigating the allegations. They argue that the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant protective measures and potentially a reassessment of Kelly’s incarceration conditions.
R. Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 on multiple charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The Grammy-winning singer was found guilty of exploiting his celebrity status to sexually abuse young women and girls over several decades.
Kelly’s appeals have so far proved fruitless. Earlier this year, the Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction. Despite his contentious past, the singer’s recent statements have brought increased attention to the circumstances and safety concerns in the United States jail system.
As Kelly awaits the court’s decision on his emergency motion, the case raises fundamental questions regarding prison authorities’ accountability and the protection of inmates, including those serving lengthy sentences for violent offenses.
