This week, a United States judge ruled that Universal Music Publishing should redirect over $500,000 in owed royalties intended for R Kelly to federal prosecutors in New York. This money will be utilized to settle fines and compensation resulting from R Kelly's conviction in 2021 by the New York courts. In that trial, the former musician was found guilty of orchestrating a criminal operation to sexually and physically exploit women and minors.
In response to the recent court order, Jennifer Bonjean, R Kelly's current legal representative, emphasized that her client is in the process of appealing both the New York conviction and a separate conviction from a trial in Chicago. She asserted that if the convictions are overturned on appeal, they will strive to reclaim the funds that were taken from R Kelly wrongly. Last year, prosecutors initiated legal proceedings to seize assets from R Kelly to settle the fines imposed as part of his sentence in the New York case. Initially, they pursued funds in R Kelly's inmate account. Subsequently, his financial obligations increased when he was instructed to provide restitution to some of the individuals who testified during the New York trial.
The focus then shifted to the earnings generated by R Kelly's music, which were overseen by his former record label Sony Music for his recordings and former publisher Universal Music Publishing for his song-related income. Apart from the prosecutors, others also sought a claim on R Kelly's Sony royalties. One of his victims, Heather Williams, aimed to access the $4 million in damages awarded through a civil lawsuit in 2020. Additionally, an entity named Midwest Commercial Funding was pursuing the recovery of a $3.5 million debt.
However, it appears that the funds owed to R Kelly by Universal will suffice to cover the fines and restitution in the New York case. District Judge Ann Donnelly issued an order mandating Universal to transfer $520,549 to the New York prosecutors on Wednesday.
Jennifer Bonjean's complete statement regarding this week's ruling stated: "We continue to assert that Mr Kelly's convictions and the orders for restitution were mistaken, and the final decision will be made by the Second Circuit Appeals Court. I can assure you that if the Second Circuit overturns Mr Kelly's convictions, we will pursue the return of every wrongfully taken cent."
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