SHADY

Prosecutors: R. Kelly Used Jail Staffer’s Phone to Make Unsupervised Call

Prosecutors in New York argued that he still has the ability to intimidate witnesses from behind bars.

Prosecutors say singer R. Kelly used a Chicago jail staffer’s phone to make at least one unsupervised call to someone on the outside. “While the staff member purportedly gave the defendant permission to use the telephone, the call was not recorded and obviously circumvented the protocols in place to ensure monitoring of the defendant’s communications.,” prosecutors in New York wrote in a Tuesday filing, arguing that R. Kelly has potentially made moves to intimidate witnesses. “These incidents demonstrate that the defendant has sought out, and likely will continue to seek out, clandestine means of communication,” the filing reads. Prosecutors also alleged that an attorney smuggled in a letter for the singer in November 2019, marking the file as a “legal” document to avoid inspection. “Simply put, the defendant’s past behavior reveals that if given the opportunity to influence a potential witness, the defendant will take it, and his incarceration may not be enough to prevent such conduct,” the filing reads.

R. Kelly faces a slew of federal charges in Chicago and New York, and state charges in Minnesota and Illinois—with all of the cases relating to alleged sex crimes, including allegations of him sexually abusing and assaulting young women and underage girls.