American singer and songwriter R. Kelly has had $28,000 (£24,000) of his own money seized after prosecutors filed a claim against him.
The R&B singer is currently jailed after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex-trafficking and racketeering, both of which amongst other charges, in June.
As reported by Bloomberg, prosecutors asked a federal court to investigate the $28,000 that was in Kelly's prison inmate account.
In their claim, they noted that the singer had not paid $140,000 (£120,000) in court-ordered fines so should have that money in the account seized.
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As a result of this claim, Judge Ann M. Donnelly ordered the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to seize $28,000 that was in 55-year-old's account.
The judge has ruled Kelly could have his funds seized by the government as he has filed to pay any of the financial penalties he was issued with after being found guilty in June.
When the singer was sentenced in June he was ordered to pay a $100,00 fine, a $900 special assessment, and an additional assessment of $40,000 - a costly payout for the singer.
A letter that was signed by Judge Ann M. Donnelly read: "On August 4, 2022, at the government’s direction, the BOP restrained or ‘froze’ $27,824.24 of the money in the defendant’s trust account, leaving a balance of $500 for his use in MCC-Chicago, where he is currently incarcerated."
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It continues: “The government now seeks an order requiring the BOP to turn over the restrained funds to the Clerk of Court ‘for deposit into an interest-bearing account pending a determination as to the amount and applicability of a restitution judgment.’”
Donnelly also concluded that the seized money should go towards the victim's of the American singer.
R. Kelly reportedly protested the decision and claims the BOP 'confiscated' the funds contained within his inmate trust account.
The court was quick to dismiss this, saying the BOP acted 'properly'.
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The ruling read: “The defendant’s remaining claims—that the BOP unlawfully ‘encumbered Mr. Kelly’s funds’ and that the BOP and the government should be sanctioned—have no merit.
“The BOP acted properly and in accordance with its policies when it placed the defendant’s funds ‘in hold until this Court could adjudicate the pending motion.’”
Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean told Law & Crime they plan to appeal the decision.
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Callum Jones