R. Kelly associate sentenced for witness intimidation attempt

Published November 17, 2021

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines November 17

A man was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday for setting fire to a car last year in what authorities said was an attempt to intimidate a potential witness in the trial against R. Kelly.

Michael Williams, 38, of Valdosta, Georgia, was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn.

Authorities said Williams, who had been described as being related to a former publicist for Kelly, went to Florida in June 2020 and set fire to a car that was outside a home where the witness was staying, in an effort to keep the person from cooperating.

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An associate of singer R. Kelly's has been sentenced to prison for intimidating a potential witness against the star. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

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The associate has been sentenced to eight years behind bars after setting a car on fire. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

R. Kelly was recently found guilty on all nine counts in his racketeering and sex trafficking case in New York. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams)

At the time, Kelly's sex-trafficking trial was pending; he was convicted in September.

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Williams' attorney, Todd Spodek, said a sentence of five years would have been "sufficient but not greater than necessary in this case." He said they were exploring their legal options.

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