Man accused of stealing Beyoncé’s unreleased music pleads guilty

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM

Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles / Beyonce attend the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 24, 2025, in Paris, France. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

Kelvin Evans, the man accused of stealing unreleased Beyoncé music in Atlanta, pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday, avoiding an impending trial.

During the hearing, Evans accepted responsibility and was sentenced to five years, with two years to be served in custody and the remaining time on probation. A second charge was merged into the first count as part of the plea agreement.

As part of his probation, Evans was ordered to avoid the location tied to the case, have no contact with the victim and commit no further violations of the law.

Evans faced charges of criminal trespass and entering a vehicle with intent to commit theft, according to the October 2024 indictment.

The indictment stated that Evans allegedly entered a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer, the rental property of Christopher Grant, a choreographer for Beyoncé, on July 8 "with the intent to commit theft."

A report filed July 8, 2025, by the Atlanta Police Department states that Grant returned to his vehicle after the alleged incident and noticed a damaged window, as well as several missing items, including two suitcases and hard drives for Beyoncé's upcoming Cowboy Carter Tour show in Atlanta, among other things.

"The hard drives contained water marked music, some un-released music, footage plans for the show, and past and future set list," the incident report stated.