*Three men connected to R. Kelly have been charged in federal court for using threats and bribes to intimate several victims in the racketeering case against the singer.
The complaints unsealed Tuesday list Richard Arline Jr., Donnell Russell and Michael Williams as defendants, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s office in Brooklyn.
“The defendants are separately charged with engaging in multiple crimes that were intended to undermine and subvert the integrity of the criminal justice system and victimize the women who have come forward with serious allegations of criminal conduct against the defendant R. Kelly,” Acting United States Attorney Seth DuCharme said in the release.
“Efforts to illegally influence pending federal cases, whether through threats of violence, intimidation, damage to property, or payments to buy a potential witness’s silence, will not be tolerated,” DuCharme said.
READ MORE: Judge Denies R. Kelly’s Jail Release Request Amid COVID-19 Fear
We just learned of the charging of several so called “associates” of R. Kelly. Without question, Robert Kelly had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged. He hasn’t attempted to intimidate anyone, or encouraged anyone else to do so. No involvement whatsoever
— Steve Greenberg (@SGcrimlaw) August 12, 2020
An attorney for R. Kelly said his client “had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged.”
“He hasn’t attempted to intimidate anyone, or encouraged anyone else to do so. No involvement whatsoever,” attorney Steve Greenberg said via Twitter on Wednesday and in an email to CNN.
Arline Jr., 31, is “a self-proclaimed longtime friend” of Kelly’s, and he was recorded via wiretap trying to bribe one victim with $500,000 if she dropped a lawsuit against the artist, according to the release.
Russell, 45, of Chicago, is “a self-described manager, advisor and friend of Kelly,” according to the release. He “threatened to reveal sexually explicit photographs” of an alleged “and to publicly reveal her sexual history if she did not withdraw her lawsuit against Kelly,” according to the release.
Prosecutors said Williams set fire to an SUV belonging to the father of another alleged victim;
Kelly is facing charges in New York including racketeering and sex trafficking He also faces federal charges of child pornography in Chicago, where he is jailed without bail.
R. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and is awaiting trial.
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