A federal judge has rejected R. Kelly’s emergency bid for home detention amid claims that prison officials are conspiring to have him killed behind bars.

R. Kelly, currently serving a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering charges, alleged in a court motion that his life is in danger due to a murder plot orchestrated by staff within the Bureau of Prisons. His legal team pointed to a recent alleged overdose and ongoing threats as justification for his release to home confinement.

However, U.S. District Judge Martha Pacold ruled that she does not have the authority to intervene in the matter as reported by CBS News. The motion was denied on the grounds that Kelly is incarcerated at FCI Butner in North Carolina—outside her jurisdiction in Chicago.

Allegations from R. Kelly’s Legal Team

According to the motion, Kelly’s attorneys claim that his former cellmate conspired with prison officials to intercept legal mail and hand it over to prosecutors, allegedly to manipulate witnesses in his child pornography trial. Furthermore, they accuse prison staff of hiring a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang to assassinate Kelly to keep these claims from surfacing.

His team has also reached out to former U.S. President Donald Trump seeking a pardon, though there has been no response to that request.

Prosecutors Slam Claims as Baseless

🚨 R. Kelly — Motion Denied

A federal judge in Chicago has denied Dkt. 493, ruling the court lacks jurisdiction over Kelly’s North Carolina prison conditions.

His team must now refile in NC if they want to pursue home confinement based on the alleged murder plot & medical… https://t.co/ntZnqc8sob

— Gen Just Law (@genjustlaw) June 20, 2025

In their rebuttal, prosecutors called the allegations “repugnant” and argued that Kelly is attempting to manipulate the legal system. “Kelly refuses to accept responsibility for years of sexually abusing children and is using this Court’s docket merely to promote himself despite there being no legal basis to be before this Court,” prosecutors wrote in their filing.

Judge Pacold reinforced that her court does not have the jurisdiction to consider the motion. “Kelly is currently housed at FCI Butner, which is located in Butner, North Carolina—outside this judicial district. Kelly has not demonstrated a legal basis for this court’s jurisdiction. Accordingly, his emergency motion … is denied,” she stated.

What’s Next?

It remains unclear if Kelly’s legal team will file new motions in the correct jurisdiction or pursue other legal avenues. Additionally, the alleged overdose—which his attorneys claim resulted from deliberate overmedication by prison staff—could become part of future legal actions.

For now, the disgraced R&B star will remain behind bars as he continues to serve his sentence for his long list of criminal convictions.