R. Kelly's alleged 'friends' charged in plot to threaten, bribe accusers; lawyer denies involvement

As singer R. Kelly's multiple trials on sex-crime charges look ever more far off, federal prosecutors are going after his friends for allegedly plotting to harass, threaten, intimidate or bribe some of his accusers, including setting a car on fire, offering a half-million-dollar bribe, and threatening to release sexually explicit photos.

Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, where Kelly is awaiting a trial on sex crimes and racketeering charges, announced Wednesday the unsealing of three criminal complaints against Richard Arline, Jr., Donnell Russell and Michael Williams.

Kelly's lead defense attorney, Steve Greenberg, said on Twitter that Kelly had “no involvement whatsoever” in any attempt to silence witnesses.

"We just learned of the charging of several so called 'associates' of R. Kelly," Greenberg's tweet said. "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."

On Friday, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York added more charges against Russell, accusing him of two counts – "threatening physical harm" by cell phone and conspiracy, for allegedly placing a call threatening gun violence to a Manhattan theater that prevented a premiere of the Lifetime film series, "Surviving R. Kelly," in December 2018.

(The series, which explored longstanding allegations that Kelly sexually abused underage girls and adult women for years, helped invigorate state and federal authorities to pursue multiple sex-crime charges against the R&B star. It began airing on Lifetime in January 2019.)

According to the SDNY complaint, Russell, a self-described manager, advisor and friend of Kelly, is accused of calling the NeueHouse theater, as guests were arriving for the screening, and telling an employee that someone there had a gun and "was going to shoot up the place." The screening was cancelled and guests were evacuated. No shooting occurred.

According to the EDNY criminal complaint, Russell is charged with using the mail, the internet and cell phones to "attempt to cause emotional distress" to another Jane Doe accuser and her mother, "with the intent to harass and intimidate" both by threatening to reveal sexually explicit photographs and to publicly reveal her sexual history if she did not withdraw her civil lawsuit against Kelly.

"In November 2018, Russell caused a letter with attachments purportedly written by Kelly to be mailed to Jane Doe’s Brooklyn-based lawyer at the time," the complaint says. 'The attachments included cropped nude photographs of Jane Doe with the following text: 'the next two pictures have been cropped for the sake of not exposing her extremities to the world, yet!!!' "

Russell also is accused of sending multiple threatening text messages to the two women, posting screen shots of text messages between Kelly and Jane Doe containing the same explicit photos of her, and displaying the same photos on the internet during two live interviews with vloggers.

Russell, arrested Tuesday, is to appear before a federal magistrate in the Eastern District in Brooklyn soon.

Arline, Jr., a self-described longtime friend of Kelly, is charged with attempting to "corruptly persuade the testimony" of an accuser identified as Jane Doe by offering her $500,000. With the accuser's consent, prosecutors recorded phone conversations between her and Arline Jr., during which he offered her the money to keep her from cooperating with the prosecution.

"During one of the recorded telephone calls, Arline, Jr. claimed that he had communicated with Kelly while Kelly was incarcerated via a three-way call with another individual," the complaint says.

Arline, Jr. was arrested in Dolton, Illinois, Tuesday and appeared before a federal magistrate in Chicago.

Williams, a relative of a former publicist for Kelly, is accused of setting fire to an SUV outside a residence in Florida where an accuser and others were staying. The vehicle, leased by the accuser's father, was heavily damaged. Williams is charged with "using and attempting to use intimidation and threats" against an accuser to "influence, delay and prevent her testimony" in the Kelly case.

Investigators used cell site records, surveillance footage, toll records and photographs, and Williams’ internet searches for the victim’s address to demonstrate he drove from Georgia to the Florida residence, the complaint says.

"Williams also performed internet queries about the detonation properties of fertilizer and diesel fuel, witness intimidation and witness tampering, and countries that do not have extradition with the United States," the complaint says.

Williams was arrested Tuesday in Pompano Beach, Florida, and his initial appearance is scheduled later Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“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,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme, in a prepared statement.

“These crimes shock the conscience," added Peter Fitzhugh, Homeland Security Special Agent-in-Charge of the investigation of the three men.

"The men charged today allegedly have shown that there is no line they will not cross to help Kelly avoid the consequences of his alleged crimes – even if it means re-victimizing his accusers. These acts not only fly in the face of human decency, they insult the very rule of law."

Accusations and rumors of witness intimidation and bribery have swirled around Kelly and his associates for years, dating back even before 2008 when he was acquitted of child pornography charges at a trial in Chicago, the only other time he faced criminal charges for sexual misconduct.

Kelly, 53, has been in federal jail in Chicago for more than a year. He is charged with multiple sex crimes in three states and four jurisdictions, including in Brooklyn, in Cook County, Illinois, in the federal Northern District of Illinois, and in Hennepin County, Minn.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include sexual assault and allegedly heading a racketeering scheme aimed at supplying Kelly with underage girls. Kelly also is accused of having unprotected sex with a minor in 2015 without disclosing he had herpes.

The Brooklyn trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 29, but may be delayed. The Chicago trial is supposed to start in October but prosecutors there recently sought to push back the trial date because of the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns that multiple logistical issues stemming from the pandemic could lead to a mistrial. 

Kelly, meanwhile, has been trying to get out of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago because of COVID-19 but has been stymied by a federal judge.