Fears of catching coronavirus has R. Kelly hoping to be released from custody. The singer’s lawyer, Steven Greenberg, filed a motion on Thursday (March 26) expressing concern over the spread of COVD-19, TMZ reports.
Kelly apparently wants to be released on bond and is willing to wear an electronic monitoring devise on his ankle. According to the website, Greenberg claims that conditions inside the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center remain “sub-standard,” heightening the risk of an “internal pandemic.” Furthermore, being locked up makes it hard to stay healthy as social distancing is basically impossible, and soap is only available to inmates who can afford it. Kelly also asserts that the jail only has one bottle hand sanitizer that’s off-limits to inmates.
The court filing reportedly states that keeping inmates in custody during a global pandemic is akin to making them “drink poison.”
Kelly has been in jail since last year while awaiting trial on sexual abuse and racketeering charges. His release date is listed as “unknown” on the federal Bureau of Prions website.
The 53-year-old Chicago native has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains innocence.
Earlier in the month, federal prosecutors in New York indicted Kelly on nine more charges, which include five counts of racketeering, coercion of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines.