Beyoncé is about to see her unreleased music theft case go to trial, and the man accused of the crime just made a bold move that could cost him years in prison.
Kelvin Evans rejected a plea deal that would’ve given him five years behind bars, telling the judge on Wednesday he’s ready to face trial starting Monday.
Now prosecutors are coming for the maximum sentence of six years, and Evans is facing charges including felony entering an automobile and misdemeanor criminal trespass.
The whole situation stems from July 8, 2025, when someone broke into a rental Jeep Wagoneer parked in a parking deck on Krog Street in Atlanta, just two days before Beyoncé’s first “Cowboy Carter” tour stop in the city.
Two members of her team reported that two suitcases were missing from the vehicle, and the back window was shattered. Inside those suitcases were jump drives containing unreleased watermarked Beyoncé music, show footage and plans, past and future set lists, two laptops, designer sunglasses, and Apple AirPods Max headphones.
Police tracked the stolen items using GPS technology, and they pinged at three different locations: Hank Aaron Drive, Longreen Terrace, and North Avenue in Hapeville.
Crime analysts reviewed surveillance footage and identified the vehicle used in the theft through its license plate.
When officers conducted a traffic stop, they arrested the driver on marijuana possession charges, but she cooperated with detectives and told them her uncle, Evans, had used the vehicle.
She also mentioned seeing four black suitcases in the back, but didn’t question it. The addresses where the stolen items pinged all connected back to Evans, according to warrants obtained by investigators.
Evans was arrested months after the July theft and has been in custody since August 26.
According to 11alive.com, during a hearing last month, prosecutors offered him five years on the entering automobile charge and twelve months concurrent on the criminal trespass charge, but he turned it down.
Now that he’s rejected the deal and said “I’m ready for trial now,” the prosecution intends to pursue the full six-year maximum sentence because Evans is a convicted felon.
Trial begins Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta.