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An Atlanta man accused of stealing hard drives containing unreleased Beyoncé music has pleaded guilty, avoiding a jury trial.
Kelvin Evans, 40, entered his plea in Fulton County Superior Court on May 12, admitting to criminal trespass and entering a vehicle with intent to commit theft.
He was sentenced to five years, with two years to serve in prison and the remainder on probation. As part of the deal, Evans must stay away from the victims and the parking garage where the theft occurred.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage showed Evans driving into the garage, parking next to a rental Jeep Wagoneer, and removing black suitcases from the vehicle.
The suitcases, which belonged to Beyoncé's choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue, contained laptops, clothing, and hard drives with unreleased music, set lists, and show footage.
"The hard drives contained watermarked music, some unreleased music, footage plans for the show and past and future set lists," police noted in their report.
Investigators later linked stolen items to Evans' family. His niece told police she received an iPhone and chargers from him, which prosecutors confirmed were reported stolen.
Evans allegedly referred to himself as the "king thief of Atlanta" during questioning.
The theft took place in July 2025, just days before Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour stop at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Grant and Blue reported the break-in on July 14, saying their vehicle's trunk window had been damaged and two suitcases taken.
Evans was arrested the following month and initially pleaded not guilty. He rejected an earlier plea deal that carried a longer prison term.
Prosecutors said they believed they had a strong case, but agreed to the reduced sentence to avoid uncertainty at trial.
"While we believe the state had a very strong case, there are some parts that are circumstantial in this particular case that a reasonable jury may have found a defendant not guilty," one prosecutor explained.
Evans will serve his prison time followed by probation.
