R. Kelly’s Music Royalties to Be Seized Over $500k Owed to Victims
The singer is taking legal action against the U.S. government, Bureau of Prisons workers, and blogger Tasha K over the leak of his private information.
Jun. 1 2023, Published 4:08 p.m. ET
R. Kelly’s royalties are set to be seized as prosecutors are making moves to collect on $500k owed to his victims, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the government filed an application for a writ of continuing garnishment in Kelly’s criminal case.
The prosecutors said Kelly owes $504,289.90 plus interest as part of a judgment in his criminal case. They said he has already been credited $27k.
In the filing, the prosecutors said Kelly is locked up in North Carolina at the moment but has failed to make the required payments.
The government has demanded Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music hand over any money owed to Kelly from his music sales.
The notice asks Sony to answer, “Whether the Garnishee has in its possession, custody or control any property of the Debtor, including non-exempt, disposable earnings.”
Kelly has yet to respond.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, in 2021, Kelly was found guilty on all counts in his federal sex crimes trial.
Kelly had been accused of racketeering, human trafficking, obstruction of justice and kidnapping. Prosecutors said the disgraced entertainer ran a criminal enterprise that had the sole goal of recruiting young women for him to abuse.
During the trial, multiple victims took the stand to describe the horrific abuse they endured at the hands of Kelly. The singer denied all allegations of wrongdoing and claimed the victims had consented to relations with him.
Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the case. He was sentenced to additional time in a separate Chicago criminal case.
Kelly has been locked up for years.
As we previously reported, Kelly recently filed an appeal of the verdict in his New York case. He argued the prosecutors did not properly prove the allegations.
“The government's burden cannot be met with the inference of bad character, or tendency to commit crimes," Jennifer Bonjean said during the trial’s closing arguments. "You may consider him to be the most amoral, dishonest person on the planet. And that has nothing to do whether the government has met its burden."