A New York appeals court has upheld R&B singer R. Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence and conviction on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
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On Wednesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected Kelly’s claims, ruling that federal prosecutors had proven he ran a racketeering scheme. The court determined he recruited women and underage girls for sexual exploitation, harming multiple victims, Reuters reports.
Circuit Judge Denny Chin explained that prosecutors shared “extensive evidence showing how Kelly ensnared young girls and women into his orbit, endeavored to control their lives, and secured their compliance with his personal and sexual demands through verbal and physical abuse, threats of blackmail, and humiliation.”
Judge Chin, speaking for a three-judge panel, said jurors could reasonably conclude that Kelly, 58, tried to intimidate victims into thinking they would be harmed if they didn’t comply with his sexual demands.
Meanwhile, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, indicated that her client may consider appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. She argued that the ruling improperly broadened the scope of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
The ruling “gives the government limitless discretion to apply the RICO statute to situations absurdly remote from the statute’s intent,” Bonjean explained. “The statute was intended to punish organized crime, not individual conduct.”
R. Kelly’s Legal Team Hoped to Overturn the Singer’s Conviction or Secure a Retrial
Last March, Kelly’s legal team filed an appeal challenging the racketeering statute used to convict the singer. They sought to overturn the conviction or, alternatively, secure a retrial.
Kelly also disputed the validity of restitution payments awarded to two of his victims, who contracted herpes through sexual activity with the singer.
Jane and Stephanie, both victims of Kelly, claim the singer began sexual relationships with them when they were minors. Jane was granted over $281,000 in restitution for herpes treatment, while Stephanie was awarded more than $70,000, per USA Today.
Meanwhile, Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence following his September 2021 conviction by a Brooklyn, New York jury. He was found guilty on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a federal law that prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for purposes of prostitution.
His case emerged as one of the most high-profile prosecutions of the #MeToo era.
Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, rose to mainstream prominence with his 1996 Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” followed by numerous other R&B hits. He also gained some early internet viral popularity for his “Trapped in the Closet” music videos.