Judge denies R. Kelly’s request for release, singer likely to remain in jail until his 2020 trial

A Brooklyn judge on Wednesday, October 2, denied the singer’s request to be released from jail while awaiting trial. 

According to TMZ, prosecutors say Kelly is definitely a flight risk if he gets out of jail while his criminal case is pending.  But his lawyers argued that even if Kelly was out of jail he does not have the funds to leave the country.

New legal documents obtained by TMZ show that prosecutors believe the singer is still deemed a flight risk following his initial plans  to travel to Dubai with his two girlfriends earlier this year after he was released on bail in Illinois.

Prosecutors also refute claims that Kelly won’t tamper with or intimidate witnesses, saying the singer “has a history of coercing women to write letters containing false and embarrassing allegations” so he can use them as blackmail.

Despite reports that he is broke, prosecutors also claimed that Kelly still receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties for his music. 

The government alleges that he’s redirecting royalties to the bank account of a childhood friend, but could easily redirect the money to himself.

 A Chicago judge has set a trial date for April 27, 2020, in the singer’s federal case where he is accused of child pornography and obstruction of justice.