R. Kelly has been taken out of solitary confinement after spending close to two weeks in special housing at a federal facility, according to his attorney.
The singer had reportedly been placed in isolation after prison officials discovered he had the phone number of a retired prison warden. The finding triggered an internal review into how the contact information was obtained and whether any rules had been violated.
Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, said the investigation ultimately found no wrongdoing tied to the number. “Mr. Kelly has been released from special housing. No impropriety whatsoever was found with respect to his possession of the telephone number of a former prison official,” Brindley told Los Angeles Magazine.
Brindley also criticized the decision to place the singer in isolation in the first place. “He was kept in special housing for approximately two weeks without legitimate cause before the facility was compelled to release him.”
According to the attorney, the unnamed warden had shared his personal cell number with Kelly before retiring. The purpose, Brindley said, was to allow the singer to seek guidance about a mentor program he had been involved in while incarcerated.
The situation came to light after Kelly’s cellmate was reportedly caught with a phone. During a search of their shared cell, officers discovered a notebook belonging to Kelly that contained the retired official’s contact information.
R. Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, is serving a 30 year federal prison sentence following convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking. His projected release date is 2045.