R. Kelly has been placed in the Special Housing Unit at a federal prison in North Carolina as his legal team pursues a new trial, alleging an assassination plot, a suspicious overdose and government misconduct.
Kelly is serving a 30-year federal sentence stemming from his New York racketeering and sex trafficking conviction, along with a separate 20-year sentence out of Chicago for child pornography and enticement. Most of the sentences are running concurrently. He is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner.
According to AllHipHop, prison officials recently transferred Kelly to the Special Housing Unit, commonly referred to in federal prison slang as "the hole," over what court filings describe as an undisclosed infraction.
The outlet reported that inmates in the Special Housing Unit can spend up to 23 hours a day locked in a cell under tight restrictions, with sharply limited phone access, in-person visits and access to legal materials.
In a court filing described by AllHipHop, Kelly's attorney Beau Brindley detailed the circumstances surrounding the transfer. Brindley told the court that roughly 30 minutes before he arrived for a scheduled legal visit, prison officials placed Kelly in the Special Housing Unit without explaining the alleged infraction.
READ MORE: R. Kelly to Challenge Conviction With 'Explosive' New Evidence, Lawyer Says
When Brindley eventually met with his client, he wrote that Kelly did not have access to his legal documents, preventing them from reviewing evidence or preparing a required reply brief tied to his motion for a new trial.
The legal maneuver comes as Kelly seeks a new trial in Chicago federal court. As previously reported by AllHipHop, Kelly's legal team alleges that members of the Aryan Brotherhood were approached and offered incentives to assassinate him inside the federal prison system.
According to the singer's claims cited by the outlet, a high-ranking gang member refused to carry out the alleged plan and indicated a willingness to testify about the approach if necessary.
Kelly's attorneys also described what they characterize as an attempted overdose following his placement in solitary confinement. They allege he was given medication in a quantity that triggered a medical emergency, resulting in treatment at Duke University Hospital for blood clots in his lungs and legs before being returned to isolation, per
LiveNOW from FOX.
Kelly previously asked for immediate release while his motion is pending, arguing the alleged threats and medical issues place his life in danger. A federal judge denied that request, and prosecutors have dismissed the assassination and overdose claims as unfounded. The motion for a new trial remains pending.
READ MORE: R. Kelly's Latest Bid for Freedom After Overdose Met With Brutal Response From His Former Accuser
© 2026 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
