On Wednesday, a man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for setting a car on fire to keep a witness from testifying against R. Kelly.
Michael Williams, 38, pleaded guilty to arson for setting the car on fire back in April. He was sentenced in a Brooklyn federal court.
Williams is related to one of Kelly’s former publicists. He was arrested in August 2020, along with two other men, for trying to bribe, threaten, and scare witnesses from testifying.
He was accused of driving to Florida and setting the car that belonged to a witness’s father on fire in June 2020. One of the home’s occupants heard an “explosion” and ran outside to see a man fleeing and the car in flames.
A search warrant was executed by authorities to see who had recently Googled the woman’s address. Police were led to Williams’ Google account.
The scare tactic didn’t work, and the witnesses, identified only as “Jane,” ended up testifying against Kelly during his Brooklyn trial in August. She told the court about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of the R&B singer, which started when she was 17-years-old.
Following Williams’ sentencing, “Jane” said, “It is very unfortunate to see a man lose his freedom; however, the crime that was committed was not only vicious but disturbing,” in a statement read by Assistant US Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez.
“My mental state deteriorated tremendously due to fear, invasion of privacy, and trauma, among many other things,” the statement read. “Because of your actions, I live in fear and have had to relocate my entire life.”
She said that she hoped that Williams’ prison sentence would give him the time he needs to reflect on his actions.
Kelly was convicted of nine counts, including racketeering, in September.
