R. Kelly Ripped By Prosecutors Over Prison Mistreatment Claims, Say He Bought Snickers
By Ryan Naumann on September 4, 2019 at 7:41 AM EDT
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Prosecutors are trashing R. Kelly’s claims of being mistreated in prison, saying the singer enjoyed a Snickers candy bar while behind bars.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, prosecutors do not seem pleased with Kelly’s recent allegations.
Kelly was released from a restrictive unit to general population this week.
In newly filed documents, prosecutors claim Kelly’s situation in prison was his own doing. They point to him violating rules and disobeying orders. He refused to take a cell mate despite being told.
Further, “defendant had access to indoor recreation three times a week, though it was not outdoors on the rooftop.” They say Kelly also had three phone calls and seven social visits while behind bars.
The Blast
Kelly claimed he was not allowed to buy candy or snacks. The government responded, “Since his arrest, defendant has purchased items from the commissary, including snacks such as Snickers.”
They are adamant, “MCC staff have taken steps to ensure defendant’s safety, and in doing so, have treated him with dignity and respect.”
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Kelly recently pleaded with the judge to help him get out of solitary confinement.
He wanted the judge to order the Federal Bureau of Prisons immediately release him into a less-restrictive unit.
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His lawyer said in the motion, “Instead of placing the Mr. Kelly one of several other floors available as an alternative to general population, the BOP has placed Mr. Kelly where inmates go to be punished, on the facility’s most restrictive floor, with zero privileges. In essence, even though he has not violated a single BOP rule, Mr. Kelly is being unconstitutionally punished and segregated from the rest of the prison population.
His lawyer said in Kelly’s unit there is “no meaningful interaction with other humans”, “no time outside getting sunlight” along with not being allowed to buy snacks and candy.
Kelly also took issue with not being allowed a television. The disgraced singer wanted more shower access. He was only gets three days per week. He was only allowed one 15-minute phone call per month, instead of the 300 minutes other inmates are allowed.
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Prosecutors said Kelly’s claims of being mistreated in solitary confinement were lies. The prosecutors wrote, “Suffice it to say that defendant is not in solitary confinement, as he has had a cellmate for quite some time despite his initial refusal. In fact, he has had more than one cellmate so far. In any event, these are not reasons to disrupt the Court’s prior ruling to detain defendant.”
A decision was made this week to send Kelly into general population.
Gettyimages | Scott Olson
Kelly plead not guilty to 18 federal charges relating to charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice. He has been stuck behind bars after a judge denied him bond.
Kelly has been locked up in Chicago’s downtown Metropolitan Correctional Center after he was arrested by Homeland Security agents and NYPD detectives.
The R&B star is facing a maximum prison sentence of 195 years in Chicago for alleged crimes against 10 different victims.
His lawyer has been trying to get him out on bond but has not been successful.
He argued Kelly was not a flight risk and promised his client would not talk to young girls while out. He also promised to wear a GPS monitoring device.
The judge wasn’t swayed.
