Posted by New York, NY – R. Kelly just took another loss after the feds reportedly seized his inmate commissary fund. According to Bloomberg, the disgraced singer failed to pay $140,000 in court-ordered fines, so prosecutors asked a federal court to seize over $28,000.
A letter sent on August 4 said “the defendant had accumulated substantial funds in his inmate trust account.” Consequently, the Bureau of Prisons put a freeze on the money and left him with $500. Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean fired off a tweet the same day calling the government “unethical.” As she explained, “After seizing his funds and after sending this email, @EDNYnews decided to file a motion to confiscate his trust account money. You’re supposed to do that BEFORE you take the money.”
The email read in part, “the BOP confiscated the majority of Mr. Kelly’s funds today with no notice to him and without any court order. As you know, the EDNY judgement is on appeal before the Second Circuit. Please advise whether you have any information regarding what authority exist that allowed the BOP to confiscate his money.”
Could the gov. be more unethical? After seizing his funds and after sending this email, @EDNYnews decided to file a motion to confiscate his trust account money. You’re supposed to do that BEFORE you take the money. pic.twitter.com/1w3sSyiAY3
— Jennifer Bonjean (@jenniferbonjean) August 4, 2022
R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in June after he was convicted on nine counts of various racketeering and sex trafficking charges last September. Eleven accusers (nine women and two men) testified they were victims of Kelly’s abuse.
“He committed these crimes using his fame and stardom as both a shield, which prevented close scrutiny or condemnation of his actions,” federal prosecutors said. “And a sword, which gave him access to wealth and a network of enablers to facilitate his crimes, and an adoring fan base from which to cull his victims.”
During a post-sentencing press conference, Bonjean called the additional Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organization (RICO) act charge “inappropriate.”
“These were not a RICO act violation,” Bonjean said at the 2:36-minute mark. “These were isolated events that happened many years and the government simply tried to plead around the statute of limitations to bring in a RICO charge, which was inappropriate.
“All I can tell you is there was no enterprise. There was no enterprise. It was one man with allegations by a number of women, which doesn’t make it an enterprise, and that is why he’s not guilty of racketeering.”
R. Kelly Attorney Calls RICO Charge ‘Inappropriate’ + Vows To Appeal: ‘There Was No Enterprise’
During a post-sentencing press conference, Bonjean called the additional Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organization (RICO) act charge “inappropriate.”
“These were not a RICO act violation,” Bonjean said at the 2:36-minute mark. “These were isolated events that happened many years and the government simply tried to plead around the statute of limitations to bring in a RICO charge, which was inappropriate.
“All I can tell you is there was no enterprise. There was no enterprise. It was one man with allegations by a number of women, which doesn’t make it an enterprise, and that is why he’s not guilty of racketeering.”