R. Kelly Prison Funds May Be Turned Over To Victims, Judge Rules – VIBE.com

Funds obtained by R. Kelly while behind bars can be seized to pay victims and other outstanding fees. According to Billboard, a judge ordered the federal Bureau of Prisons to hand over the $27,824 gained by Kelly to prosecutors. The funds will be held until a final ruling is issued on the amount Kelly owes in restitution.

“The defendant has amassed nearly thirty-thousand dollars in his inmate trust account over the course of the last three years of incarceration,” argued prosecutors. “The defendant has not made any payments towards the substantial criminal monetary penalties imposed upon him at sentencing, even though payment was due immediately.”

Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean promised, “We will appeal” in a statement to Law&Crime. The balance had been initially frozen since prosecutors first made their application in August. Kelly was left with a $500 balance as he serves a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking. The hearing to determine how much owed in restitution has been scheduled for Sept. 28, 2022.

The disgraced singer is currently on trial in Chicago for child pornography and obstruction of justice over Kelly’s infamous explicit tape which featured a minor participating in sexual acts.

Last month, the prosecution rested after two weeks of testimony from multiple accusers. His co-defendants Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown are charged with receiving child pornography. McDavid and Kelly also face obstruction of justice charges.

On Friday (Sept. 9) the defense rested after McDavid, the main defense witness, delivered three days of testimony, the Associated Press reported. McDavid was the only one of the trio to testify on his own behalf.

“The last (few) weeks … I’ve learned a lot … that I had no idea about in 2008,” McDavid said under oath.

Jury deliberations are expected to begin next week.