Lawyers filed a motion Friday requesting R. Kelly’s release from an Illinois jail, claiming the singer is diabetic and at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, attorneys for Kelly, 53, wrote that he has a “confirmed diagnosis of diabetes” and maintained he isn’t a flight risk. Kelly has remained jailed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) without bail since his arrest last summer.
In May, Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, wrote a letter to a New York federal judge seeking bail for the embattled singer. Greenberg wrote that Kelly is overweight, “1/10 of one point below diabetic,” and has high blood pressure and cholesterol issues, the Sun-Times reported.
Federal prosecutors in Illinois have charged Kelly with a total of 26 criminal counts — 13 which were filed in February — for charges including child pornography, obstruction of justice, and sexual abuse of a minor. The singer’s facing multiple federal charges in New York for allegedly infecting a woman and minor girl with herpes, racketeering, and sex trafficking that reportedly crossed state lines.
Kelly’s also facing a total of 21 sex-related criminal charges in Cook County, Illinois — 11 which were filed in May and 10 in February. Those state charges reportedly stem from allegations dating back to 1998 and involve at least three underage girls.
In August, authorities in Minnesota charged Kelly with two counts of prostitution with a person under 18 in connection with an alleged 2001 incident.
Kelly’s attorneys have claimed that the singer’s incarceration has prevented them from being able to properly plan for the upcoming trials.
An Illinois federal judge has yet to rule on the latest motion.
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[Featured image: R. Kelly/Chicago Police Department]
