The former manager of R. Kelly has been given a 20-month prison sentence for stalking and harassing one of the singer’s victims.
In July, Donnell Russell pled guilty to using threats and intimidation to suppress one of Kelly’s victims.
Using a pseudonym, he uploaded intimate images of her online to prevent her from testifying against his client.
Kelly was subsequently found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering and given a 30-year prison sentence.
Russell, a self-described manager, advisor, and friend of Kelly, was accused by prosecutors of employing “reprehensible” methods against the victim and her mother when she filed a civil suit against the singer in 2018.
When it became apparent that she was named in New York State’s criminal case against Kelly and was going to testify, he continued to harass them.
Between November 2018 and February 2020, Russell threatened to disclose sexually graphic images of the lady via text messages that said, “Pull the plug or you will be exposed.”
Under the moniker Colon Dunn, he created a Facebook profile in 2019 and uploaded copies of text communications between Kelly and the victim, including the same sexually explicit images.
Later, he defended Kelly on two different YouTube programs, when he again exhibited the images.
Russell’s attorneys claimed, before sentencing, that he should not receive jail time since he had led an “otherwise excellent life” before “stepping the line in his attempts to gain favor with Robert Kelly.”
But prosecutors disagreed, arguing that it was crucial to demonstrate that the law was on the side of victims.
The punishment handed down to the defendant today is a victory for crime victims, especially those of sexual assault and abuse, who are often reluctant to come forward to law enforcement or seek legal recourse due to the trauma and fear of retaliation associated with publicly discussing their experiences,” said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the eastern district of New York.
Separate from the stalking allegations, Russell was convicted in July of placing a hoax call alleging that a gunman was about to open fire on a Manhattan theatre that was due to premiere the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, which ultimately led to criminal charges against the singer.
Next Monday, he will be sentenced to these accusations.
Kelly was one of the most popular R&B artists of the 1990s and 2000s, with singles such as I Believe I Can Fly, Ignition (Remix), and Bump N’ Grind to his credit.
Although allegations of sexual assault plagued him for years, he eluded charges until 2019, when the documentary Surviving R. Kelly pushed prosecutors to call for victims to come forward.
After being convicted guilty in New York last year, the celebrity faced a separate trial in Chicago this summer, where he was found guilty on three counts of child pornography and three counts of luring a juvenile.
In this case, sentencing is scheduled for February 2023.
