{"id":54472,"date":"2022-08-24T02:10:28","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T02:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/jurors-to-continue-to-hear-testimony\/"},"modified":"2022-08-24T02:10:28","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T02:10:28","slug":"jurors-to-continue-to-hear-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/jurors-to-continue-to-hear-testimony\/","title":{"rendered":"Jurors to continue to hear testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Jurors in R. Kelly’s federal child pornography trial on Tuesday heard a tale seemingly ripped from a B-movie script: Clandestine hotel meetings. sex tapes Bags filled with cash. Tough guys with guns.<\/p>\n

But this was no movie, according to Charles Freeman, a key prosecution witness who was at the center of it all.<\/p>\n

Instead, Freeman said, it was a real-life cloak-and-dagger scheme orchestrated by Kelly and his associates to recover video footage of the R&B superstar allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Freeman was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years in exchange for getting at least one of the tapes back, he said.<\/p>\n

The plot as described by Freeman spanned almost a decade, and unfolded in cities from Chicago to Kansas City and Atlanta, at Kelly’s music studio, concert venues and even the singer’s sprawling Olympia Fields mansion, where Freeman said he was told to strip naked and get in a pool to prove he wasn’t wearing a wire.<\/p>\n

Attorneys for Kelly and his co-defendants Derrel McDavid and Milton \u201cJune\u201d Brown are slated to begin cross-examining Freeman on Wednesday. It should be lively: In opening statements last week, defense lawyers told jurors Freeman is a con artist, an extortionist, a liar and a criminal.<\/p>\n

Freeman is testing under an immunity agreement from prosecutors. His testimony is key to the Brown that Kelly, McDavid and Brown conspired to cover up Kelly’s misdeeds while he was being investigated and prosecuted for child pornography.<\/p>\n

Freeman entered the packed courtroom Tuesday dressed in a blue suit and dark-tinted glasses. He took his glasses and black face mask off before he started testing.<\/p>\n

Throughout his three hours on the stand, Freeman spoke in blunt tones about the business he was involved in, acknowledging that brought along bodyguards as \u201cmuscle\u201d to meetings with Kelly’s associates and spent nine of years of his life obsessed with \u201cgetting that money\u201d that had been promised to him.<\/p>\n

Freeman’s vivid but often-jumbled recollections of the events from years ago left many in the courtroom \u2014 including attorneys and, at times, some jurors \u2014 with bemused expressions, whether it was describing the \u201crinky-dink excuses\u201d Kelly’s camp kept giving him for failing to pay, or telling the jury how at one meeting with them, he pulled out a videotape he’d hidden \u201cbetween my pants and my butt cheeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly, meanwhile, was animated as he listened to the testimony, leaning over to whisper to his attorneys and appearing to chuckle at one point as Freeman described the way they became friends in the early 1990s after a misunderstanding about a jacket.<\/p>\n

Their friendship began while Freeman was doing merchandising for a tour that featured Kelly’s first group, Public Announcement, he said. He said they bonded over basketball and \u201creally became cool and friends.\u201d Then, in 2001, he got a call from Kelly, who said he wanted Freeman to \u201crecover some tapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not long afterward, he heard from McDavid and private investigator Jack Palladino, he testified, who said there would be a \u201creward\u201d if he could get the stolen video back. At the time of the phone calls, he did not know what was on the tape, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerrel said it was a performance tape they really needed to recover, and if I would recover the tape they would take care of me,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cThose were his exact words.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freeman was told that an ex-girlfriend of Kelly’s, Lisa Van Allen, had stolen the video and given it to some people in Atlanta, he tested. He signed a contract in August 2001 to recover the tapes for $100,000 plus expenses \u2014 not the million dollars he had agreed to, he said.<\/p>\n

McDavid told him he’d get the full million, \u201cbut how do we know what you recovered is what we’re wanting? We need originals and make sure this is the actual evidence tapes,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would look bad if we gave you a million dollars for a tape and it’s not the tape that we want,\u201d McDavid said, according to Freeman’s testimony.<\/p>\n

Freeman drove to a house in Georgia a few days later. He said he \u201cfigured they wasn’t just gonna hand over\u201d anything and that they were going to have to go in \u201cmuscling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA young lady came to the door and I said ‘I’m here to recover the MF tapes that y’all stole from Robert Kelly.’ Them were my exact words,\u201d Freeman said. He said he could see into the living area, where there was a \u201cswing for a baby\u201d and a TV and VCR with three videocassettes nearby.<\/p>\n

Freeman got three tapes from the house, then went to Wal-Mart and bought blank tapes and a VCR recorder, he said.<\/p>\n

One tape was a Disney movie. Another was some kind of family video. The third was a tape of Kelly \u201cwith a young lady having sex,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat age did the female appear to be to you?\u201d Assistant US Attorney Jeannice Appenteng asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung,\u201d he responded.<\/p>\n

The video, according to prosecutors, depicts Kelly sexually abusing \u201cJane,\u201d his 14-year-old goddaughter at his former home in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. It is different from the tape for which Kelly was criminally charged in Cook County, though it involves the same alleged victim. Kelly was ultimately acquitted in 2008 of the Cook County charges, in part because he persuaded the victim not to cooperate, according to federal prosecutors.<\/p>\n

Freeman \u201cimmediately\u201d made three or four copies of the Georgia tape, he said, because he didn’t trust McDavid or Palladino to pay him. He still had copies of the tape as of early 2019, he tested.<\/p>\n

Freeman did not initially tell the police about the child pornography \u201cbecause the police wasn’t going to pay me a million dollars,\u201d he said. In early 2019, Freeman’s attorney told him \u201cthe police was coming to get me because my name came up that I was holding child pornography for Robert Kelly.\u201d Freeman gave the tapes to his attorney, who gave them to law enforcement, he said.<\/p>\n

Freeman turned over a copy of the tape to McDavid and Palladino, who had him pass a polygraph test about it. Later, Palladino called and said they knew he had another tape, and arranged another meeting for him to turn it over and get paid.<\/p>\n

Freeman handed over the tape and got a bag of cash in return. It was not the full million, but they told him he’d get paid in installations \u2014 every other year \u201cuntil Rob gets to court,\u201d Freeman said. Freeman made extensive efforts over the years to get the full amount he was owed, he said, including filing two lawsuits, he tested.<\/p>\n

In late 2003 or early 2004, McDavid reached out to Freeman again about getting a different tape, Freeman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerrel said it’s another performance tape, sex tape is what he described,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cWith Lisa Van Allen, Robert and the young lady on the tape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prosecutors have described a similar video as Video 4 of the indictment, which prosecutors have said they never recovered and cannot play for jurors.<\/p>\n

Freeman then contacted his friend Keith Murrell, and found out Murrell had made a side deal with Kelly’s team regarding that tape, he said. Freeman copied part of the footage to a cellphone but did not recover the VHS, he tested.<\/p>\n

Freeman believed he was owed the balance of his payment right before Kelly’s trial, he tested. In late 2007 or early 2008 he met with Kelly alone at the singer’s Olympia Fields mansion to talk about the tape he got in Georgia, he testified. The conversation took place in a replica ice cream parlor next to the sprawling home’s indoor \u201crainforest\u201d pool.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Kelly) said he wanted to make sure I wasn’t working with the police or anything,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n

While he was at the Olympia Fields home, he also spoke to McDavid alone at Kelly’s swimming pool, he said. McDavid initially said he wanted them both to strip naked and get in the pool so he could be sure Freeman wasn’t wearing a wire, Freeman said. Both men undressed, but left their underwear on, Freeman said.<\/p>\n

And after McDavid jumped in the water, he assured Freeman he would get the rest of the money just before the trial.<\/p>\n

But by the time of Kelly’s 2008 trial, Freeman still hadn’t been paid in full, he said, so he started calling reporters to announce a news conference \u201cbecause I had big information about this case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The next day, Freeman said, he got a call from Brown, who picked him up in his car and handed over a phone. Kelly was on the line.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Kelly) said ‘I know you not going to do a press conference and do me like this after I gave you my word I was gonna pay you,’\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n

Kelly promised him the money but said it was hard to \u201cmake any moves\u201d during the trial, Freeman said. Brown handed him $10,000 as a show of good faith, and Freeman ultimately did not go through with the news conference, he said.<\/p>\n

Earlier Tuesday, two lie-detector test administrators tested that they were hired to ask someone if he had made copies of a certain videotape. It was never specified for jurors whether that man was in fact Freeman.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Afternoon Briefing<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

daily<\/p>\n

Chicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lawrence Berkland said he was hired by an attorney in August 2001 to test someone about whether he had made copies of a certain videotape, and whether it was the only videotape he had. Berkland gave the unidentified man three tests and he passed all three, he said.<\/p>\n

Tuesday morning, polygraph administrator John Hurlock testified remotely from Missouri that he also was hired that same month to test someone about whether they had any other copies of a certain tape. The test subject also declined to give Hurlock his name or signature, telling him to \u201ccall him ‘Showtime.’ \u201d<\/p>\n

Hurlock did not recall actually giving the subject a polygraph test.<\/p>\n

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com<\/i><\/p>\n

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jurors in R. Kelly’s federal child pornography trial on Tuesday heard a tale seemingly ripped from a B-movie script: Clandestine hotel meetings. sex tapes Bags filled with cash. Tough guys with guns. But this was no movie, according to Charles Freeman, a key prosecution witness who was at the center of it all. Instead, Freeman …<\/p>\n

Jurors to continue to hear testimony<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54985,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/witness-desperate-r-kelly-offered-1m-for-return-of-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":0},"title":"Witness: Desperate R. Kelly offered $1M for return of video","date":"August 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"CHICAGO (AP) \u2014 A former merchandizing agent for R. Kelly testified Tuesday that the singer offered him $1 million to find a VHS tape featuring Kelly as prosecutors sought to persuade jurors that Kelly was desperate to recover the missing recording, knowing it could land him in legal peril if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55313,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/alleged-fixer-paid-to-recover-sex-tapes-to-be-cross-examined\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":1},"title":"Alleged fixer paid to recover sex tapes to be cross-examined","date":"August 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On Tuesday, Charles Freeman told a wild tale to jurors about how R. Kelly and his associates allegedly agreed to pay him up to a million dollars in the early 2000s to hunt down videotapes of the R&B singer sexually assaulting a young teen girl.But that account came under withering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54283,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/fixer-says-r-kelly-hired-him-to-recover-tape-that-showed-singer-with-a-young-lady-having-sex-rolling-stone\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":2},"title":"Fixer Says R. Kelly Hired Him to Recover Tape That Showed Singer ‘With a Young Lady Having Sex’ \u2013 Rolling Stone","date":"August 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Jurors in R. Kelly's federal trial in Chicago heard testimony from a fixer and lie detector test administrator Tuesday, Aug. 23, as prosecutors attempted to show how the disgraced singer his associates allegedly tried to cover up and subvert previous sexual assault and child pornography and investigations. As the Chicago\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57534,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/kansas-city-man-tests-about-returning-copy-of-purported-r-kelly-sex-tape-to-singers-associates\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":3},"title":"Kansas City man tests about returning copy of purported R. Kelly sex tape to singer’s associates","date":"August 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Kansas City man at the center of an alleged scheme to hide a sex tape showing R. Kelly in a threesome with a 14-year-old girl told a federal jury Friday that he only handed over a partial copy of the tape to Kelly's associates at first because he \u201cdidn't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63450,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/r-kellys-lawyers-start-defense-he-says-he-wont-testify\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":4},"title":"R. Kelly’s lawyers start defense; he says he won’t testify","date":"September 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"CHICAGO -- R. Kelly's lawyers began mounting a defense Thursday in Chicago against federal charges of child pornography, enticement of minors for sex and fixing his 2008 state trial, with an initial witness contending the singer was himself a victim of blackmail.The presentation to jurors won't include Kelly taking the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56466,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/woman-tests-on-contact-with-underage-goddaughter\/","url_meta":{"origin":54472,"position":5},"title":"Woman tests on contact with underage goddaughter","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A former girlfriend of R. Kelly's sobbed in a federal courtroom Thursday as she tested that Kelly's longtime business manager told her in 2007 they should have killed her instead of paying her to return an incriminating videotape of Kelly having sex with her and a 14-year -old girl.Lisa Van\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/resizer\/uniNwvuudCXpybJk8Whb7OBYkCE=\/1200x630\/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/tronc\/FJXLXSWULJHOLJ7P5LZPXQPWWY.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54472"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54472\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}