R. KELLY PLACED IN ISOLATION AS U.S. PRISON INVESTIGATES NOTEBOOK DISCOVERY
By: TMZ
American R&B singer R. Kelly has been placed in isolation at a federal prison in the United States as authorities investigate how he came to have the phone number of a retired prison warden in his possession.
Kelly is currently serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Butner Medium in North Carolina.
According to his lawyer, Beau Brindley, the singer was transferred to the prison’s Special Housing Unit (SHU), a segregated section of the facility, while officials review the matter.
Brindley said the situation stems from Kelly’s involvement in a mentorship programme within the prison, which was overseen by the former warden.
Before retiring, the warden allegedly gave Kelly his personal mobile phone number so he could seek advice related to the mentorship initiative.
The issue surfaced after Kelly’s cellmate was reportedly found with a prohibited mobile phone considered contraband under U.S. federal prison regulations.
During a search of the shared cell, prison staff discovered Kelly’s notebook containing the retired warden’s contact number.
Authorities are now examining whether any prison rules were violated.
In response to media inquiries, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said it does not comment on specific inmates’ conditions of confinement or internal security procedures, citing privacy and safety concerns.
Kelly is serving lengthy federal sentences following multiple criminal convictions in the United States.
In 2021, he was convicted in New York on charges including racketeering and sex-related crimes and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In 2022, he was convicted in Chicago on additional federal charges, including producing child sexual abuse material and enticement of a minor, receiving a 20-year sentence.