Three men have been arrested and charged with attempting to intimidate and influence women who agreed to testify against R. Kelly. The charges were exposed by the New York Eastern District attorney's office. They will be tried separately, three separate complaints having been filed against them. The singer of I Believe I Can Flyis still in prison, awaiting several trials for sex crimes. Two cases are being tried at the federal level, including one in New York where R. Kelly is accused of having set up, for the past 20 years, a system to recruit adult and minor women to have sex. Six women, whose identities are protected, collaborate with the feds. It is they that the three men, who claim to be part of the artist's entourage, are accused of having threatened.
Bribery, threats and intimidation
The first, 31-year-old Richard Arline Jr., introduced himself as a longtime friend of the incarcerated singer. He is charged with trying to influence one of the women to delay or cancel her testimony. He would have offered him $ 500,000, according to Billboard.
Donnell Russell, 45, describes himself as R. Kelly's manager, advisor and friend. He is accused of threatening to disseminate photos of one of the victims in sexually explicit positions if she continued to collaborate with justice against the artist. The young woman's lawyer received cut-out photos of her naked and a letter threatening that the next "will not be cut". The youngster's mother also received a similar letter.
Michael Williams, 37, is close to R. Kelly's former press secretary. He is accused of setting fire to a car rented by the father of one of the young women, which was parked in front of her home in Florida. Investigators have found several evidence - via his Internet history or the telephone line and surveillance cameras - showing that he sought to know his address and went there. R. Kelly, who is not currently at issue in these cases, has said through his lawyer, Steven Greenberg, that he "cannot control everyone and is not responsible. of these three men ”.
People
R. Kelly trial: Federal prosecutor demands anonymity of jurors
- Sexual violence
- Threat
- Trial
- R. Kelly
- Rape