Disgraced former R&B star R.J. Kelly was sentenced on Thursday to another year in federal prison in Chicago, adding to the current 30 years he is serving a separate federal sentence in New York. The extra year stems from a verdict in Illinois federal court last September that found him guilty of making child pornography with three victims, including his 14-year-old godchild “Jane”.
Kelly’s lead defense attorney, Jennifer Bonzen, had asked US District Judge Harry Leinenweber for New York to commute the sentence plus 10 years in prison. As Bill Cosby’s attorney, Bonzen successfully overturned the comedian’s sexual assault conviction in 2021.
As it stands, Kelly, 56, is currently expected to serve his sentence in his late 80s. Leinenweber sentenced Kelly to a total of 240 months on Thursday, according to CBS Chicago, but 228 of those months are to be served concurrently with his New York federal sentence — meaning he will serve only one more sentence on the Illinois federal charges. Will serve for a year.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, which was in the courtroom and is part of Chicago Public Media, an attorney for “Jane” read a statement from her that said: “Robert shattered me. I need closure.” ..and I need Robert in jail.” As long as the law allows.”
Last week, prosecutors sentenced Kelly to 25 years in prison on the Illinois federal sentence – to be served only after the conclusion of her current 30-year prison sentence in New York on separate racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Some of the charges in the Illinois federal trial were related to the 2008 child pornography trial in Chicago, in which Kelly was infamously acquitted. “Jane” and her family refused to cooperate with that case.
In last year’s trial in Illinois, a jury found Kelly not guilty of seven other charges, including that the singer obstructed justice in a 2008 child pornography trial or that he enticed two other accusers, identified as “Tracy” and “Brittany”. was recognized as such. In court, in sex crimes.
Last month, Cook County, Ill. Kim Foxx, the U.S. state’s attorney, dropped separate sexual assault charges against Kelly from her office, saying the former star would already be serving an “extensive sentence” in prison. Nevertheless, Kelly still faces separate criminal charges in Minnesota for soliciting a minor in 2001.