After being denied twice for an early prison release over his vulnerability of catching COVID-19 while behind bars, R. Kelly and his legal team are now leveraging his $2 million IRS debt to get the green light.
The Chicago crooner and his lawyers have filed legal docs arguing that his $1,878,737.43 IRS bill is the exact reason why he would not be a flight risk.
Meanwhile, prosecutors still insist the singer has the means to escape the country, as they claim he’s already made over $200,000 in royalties since January. His team counters that the number is most likely gross, and doesn’t include agent and third-party cuts; nor any liens the IRS may hold over him for his $2 million debt.
In addition, Kelly’s lawyers say any money he has access to can be frozen by the government in lieu of his release. They also argue that even during the time prosecutors built their case against, he had ample time and access to money to flee — but he didn’t, and appeared at every court case.
