The high-stakes legal battle over the stolen Beyoncé tracks is officially moving forward in Atlanta.
On Wednesday, Kelvin Evans made a virtual appearance in a Fulton County courtroom to answer for the high-profile heist. During the hearing, Evans entered a plea of not guilty to charges of criminal trespass and entering an automobile with the intent to commit theft.
Though he previously posted a $20,000 bond to secure his release in October, his legal journey is far from over. The judge has now scheduled a case management hearing for February 11 to determine the next steps in the prosecution.
The drama traces back to last July when Queen Bey brought her “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While the city was under the “Beyoncé effect,” her inner circle was dealing with a security breach. Her choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer Diandre Blue had parked their rental Jeep Wagoneer at the Krog Street Market for about an hour. When they returned, they found the trunk window smashed and their luggage missing.
According to the police report, “Mr. Grant advised he was also carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyoncé. The hard drives contained watermarked music, some unreleased music, footage plans for the show, and past and future set lists.
Beyond the priceless musical data, the thief made off with a haul of luxury items, including AirPods Max headphones, designer sunglasses, and multiple laptops. Investigators eventually zeroed in on Evans in September, linking him to the crime after he was already in custody for an unrelated parole violation.
Digital tracking on the stolen electronics led police right to the goods, which were reportedly recovered while Evans was behind bars.
