11/06/2025
R. Kelly Files Emergency Motion for Release, Citing Alleged Murder Plot in Federal Prison
Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is back in headlines this week after his legal team filed an emergency motion on Tuesday requesting immediate release from the Butner Federal Correctional Institution in North Carolina, claiming his life is in danger.
The 57-year-old is currently serving a combined 30-year sentence on federal convictions for racketeering, s*x trafficking, and child po*******hy. But according to newly filed court documents, Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, says the prison system has become a threat to his client’s survival.
In the filing, Brindley accuses three Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials of conspiring with an inmate—Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill member of the A***n Brotherhood—to assassinate Kelly. The documents allege that Stine was offered freedom in exchange for carrying out the murder, but instead warned Kelly of the plot after weeks of monitoring him.
“This is no longer just about the conditions of incarceration,” Brindley said in a statement. “This is about a credible, orchestrated effort to end Mr. Kelly’s life. The federal government has a duty to protect people in its custody, not endanger them.”
Kelly’s team is asking the court to allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement, citing the threat as a violation of his Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
In a separate plea, the singer’s lawyers have also reached out to President Donald Trump, appealing for clemency in light of what they describe as a politically charged and unsafe imprisonment. The move comes as Trump has made headlines for intervening in other high-profile sentences, including those of Todd and Julie Chrisley and alleged Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover.
R. Kelly has previously made unsuccessful attempts to be released due to concerns about his safety. However, his legal team says this is the first time there is documented evidence of an active assassination attempt. The Bureau of Prisons has not yet responded publicly to the allegations.
Kelly was transferred to Butner in April 2023 and is not eligible for release until 2045, barring any legal breakthroughs. His attorneys have also appealed his convictions to the U.S. Supreme Court.
As of now, the court has not ruled on the emergency request. Kelly remains in custody.
Black Is The Standard will continue following this story as it develops.
