A federal appeals court in Manhattan has upheld R&B singer R. Kelly's convictions and 30-year prison sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking charges, dismissing multiple arguments from his legal team.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Kelly, 57, exploited his celebrity status for over 25 years to sexually abuse girls and young women, enabled by a network of managers and staff members who helped facilitate his crimes.
The court rejected Kelly's appeal claims, including arguments about inadequate trial evidence, potentially biased jurors, and improper application of racketeering charges typically used in organized crime cases.
"Evidence at trial showed that he would isolate them from friends and family, control nearly every aspect of their lives, and abuse them verbally, physically, and sexually," stated the three-judge panel in their decision.
Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean expressed disappointment with the ruling and indicated plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that prosecutors had too much latitude in applying racketeering statutes to individual conduct rather than organized crime.
The appeals court also upheld restitution payments to Kelly's victims, including over $281,000 awarded to one victim for lifetime herpes medication after being infected by the singer.
The multiplatinum-selling artist, known for hits like "I Believe I Can Fly," was convicted in 2021 in Brooklyn federal court. This latest ruling follows the Supreme Court's previous refusal to hear an appeal of his separate 20-year sentence from a 2022 Chicago conviction on child sex charges.
Kelly's downfall accelerated following the #MeToo movement and the release of the documentary "Surviving R. Kelly," though allegations about his abuse of young girls had circulated since the 1990s.
The Grammy winner remains incarcerated as he serves concurrent sentences for his federal convictions in New York and Chicago.