Man Pleads Guilty in Theft of Beyoncé Unreleased Music, Gets 2 Years in Prison

An Atlanta man accused of stealing unreleased Beyoncé music pleaded guilty Tuesday, just before his trial was set to begin.

Kelvin Evans, 40, entered the plea in Fulton County Superior Court on May 12, admitting to entering an automobile and criminal trespass. Judge sentenced him to two years in prison under the deal, along with three years on probation, which is less than the six-year term he could have faced if convicted at trial.

Prosecutors said Evans broke into a rental car belonging to Beyoncé’s choreographer, Christopher Grant, while Grant was in Atlanta ahead of a stop on the singer’s Cowboy Carter tour. Grant reported that the luggage inside the vehicle included laptops, luxury clothing and hard drives containing unreleased Beyoncé material.

At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors played surveillance footage they said showed the break-in. They said they would have used it in a jury trial that was scheduled to begin this week. While prosecutors said they believed they had a strong case, they agreed to the plea bargain to avoid uncertainty over a possible verdict.

“He is looking forward to putting this relatively large part of his life behind him and hoping for a future where he can make money legitimately and be part of society like the rest of us,” Evans’ lawyer told the judge during the live-streamed hearing.

The prosecutor acknowledged there were circumstantial elements in the case, saying a reasonable jury could have found Evans not guilty.

Evans was arrested last summer in connection with the theft.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Beyoncé accepts the Best Country Album award for