R. Kelly’s attorney says the singer is currently “in isolation” inside a North Carolina prison’s special housing unit as officials investigate why he had the phone number of a retired prison official.
According to TMZ, citing attorney Beau Brindley, Kelly was found with the number during a search of his cell. The search reportedly happened after another inmate housed in the same unit was caught with a cell phone. The report also emphasized that Kelly did not orchestrate any prison escape, despite resurfaced viral claims suggesting otherwise.
Brindley said authorities discovered a notebook belonging to Kelly during the search, and inside it was the retired official’s contact information.
Speaking further to People, Brindley explained that Kelly remains “in isolation” while the investigation is ongoing.
“[Kelly’s] only reason for having the phone number or contact with that prison official is because he was involved in a mentor program at the jail,” Brindley said. “And so he’s involved in a mentor program, and because of that, he has a relationship with the prison official. That official retired and left the phone number for Mr. Kelly, and then, as a result of that, now Mr. Kelly’s locked up in special housing, for what they call an investigation.”
Brindley also clarified that the retired official “had been a warden at one time.”
When contacted by Complex on Tuesday (Feb. 17), a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to address specifics about Kelly’s status.
“For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement or internal security procedures for any inmate or group of inmates,” the representative said.
The spokesperson added more broadly that staff members are prohibited from giving “preferential treatment to any inmate,” and violations could lead to disciplinary action, termination, or criminal charges.
Kelly is currently serving time at FCI Butner Medium I, a medium-security federal prison in North Carolina. As it stands, the singer — who has prior convictions including production of child pornography — has a projected release date of Dec. 21, 2045.
