Unreleased Beyoncé music thief avoids trial

ATLANTA (CN) — The anticipated trial for the man accused of stealing unreleased music recorded by Beyoncé while she was on tour in Atlanta was unexpectedly cut short Tuesday.

Before the jury could be called into the Fulton County Courtroom, attorneys announced that Kelvin Evans accepted a plea deal.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of entering an automobile and criminal trespass.

Fulton County Superior Court Senior Judge Jane C. Barwick sentenced Evans to five years, with two years to serve incarcerated and the balance of the sentence probated. He was further ordered to stay away from the location of the theft and victims in this case.

"Ladies and gentleman, the case is over," Barwick told the jurors.

Evans' guilty plea came as a surprise as he rejected a plea offer during a hearing last month and told the court, "I'm ready for trial now."

He initially faced up to six years in prison due to his extensive criminal history. Over the past two decades, Evans was arrested about two dozen times in Fulton County on charges ranging from entering automobiles, criminal trespass and influencing a witness.

At least five of Evans' previous charges, dating back to 2016, were for breaking into automobiles.

Prosecutors said they recommended the plea because some of their evidence could be considered circumstantial and potentially lead a reasonable jury to have found the defendant not guilty.

They presented surveillance footage evidence of the Atlanta parking garage where a man is seen entering a black Jeep Wagoneer from behind on July 8, 2025. The same man is then seen fleeing the scene in a red Hyundai Elantra.

This was just two days before Beyoncé's first "Cowboy Carter" tour stop in the city at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Two members of Beyoncé's team reported two suitcases missing from their rental car that was broken into with the back window busted.

Choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue told police the stolen suitcases contained jump drives with unreleased Beyoncé music, past and future setlists, footage for her shows, two laptops, designer sunglasses, clothes and Apple AirPods Max headphones.

"They have my computer, and it's really, really important information in there. I work for someone who's of a high status, and I really need my computer and everything," Grant said in his released call to 911.

The drives containing the unreleased music were reportedly encrypted so Evans was unable to access it. He was likely unaware of just how valuable the stolen items in his possession actually were and that they belonged to a Grammy Award-winning musician.

Crime analysts were expected to testify about how they viewed surveillance footage and located the vehicle used in the theft by its license plate.

Police were eventually able to track the vehicle and take the driver into custody, who cooperated with investigators and told them her uncle, Evans, was the one who used the vehicle. The black suitcases were recovered in the back.

Evans was ultimately arrested in nearby Hapeville, Georgia, a few weeks after the reported break-in for entering an automobile with intent to commit theft and a parole violation. In September 2025, he was taken into custody by Atlanta police and released from jail on a $20,000 bond a month later.