R.Kelly reportedly been placed in solitary confinement as federal officials investigate an unusual situation unfolding behind bars. The beleaguered R&B singer, who is currently serving decades-long sentences, has been moved to the Special Housing Unit at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina.
According to TMZ, his attorney, Beau Brindley, says the isolation stems from authorities discovering a retired warden’s phone number in Kelly’s notebook.
According to his lawyer, the number was given to Kelly by the former warden before his retirement in connection with a prison mentor program the singer had been participating in. The initiative saw him offering guidance to fellow inmates.
However, after Kelly’s cellmate was allegedly caught with contraband, including a mobile phone, officials searched their shared cell. During that search, they reportedly found the retired warden’s contact information written down.
Kelly has since been placed in the SHU while the matter is reviewed.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specifics, citing privacy and security concerns.
The 59-year-old is serving a 30-year sentence following his 2021 racketeering and sex trafficking conviction in New York, in addition to a 20-year sentence handed down in Chicago in 2022 on child p*rnography and enticement charges.
