EPAA two-year prison sentence has been handed down to an individual who unlawfully accessed a vehicle and absconded with hard drives containing unreleased musical works by the artist Beyoncé. The sentence includes an additional three years of supervised probation.
Kelvin Evans, aged 41, entered a guilty plea to charges including unauthorized vehicle entry and criminal trespass in Atlanta, Georgia, last year. The incident occurred serendipitously as Beyoncé’s highly anticipated “Cowboy Carter” tour was set to visit Atlanta. Evans targeted a Jeep Wagoneer, a vehicle rented by one of the singer’s choreographers and dancers, on July 8, 2025.
Upon discovering the break-in, the occupants found the Jeep’s rear window shattered and their belongings missing. Authorities have confirmed that the stolen hard drives and other seized items have not yet been recovered.
Court documents filed in Fulton County Superior Court reveal that Evans accepted a plea deal on Tuesday, just before his trial was scheduled to commence. These records, accessed by our newsroom, indicate a history of prior offenses for the defendant.
According to reporting from CBS News, a US media partner, Evans’ legal counsel conveyed to the judge his client’s aspiration for a future centered on legitimate employment and societal integration.
The legal proceedings began with jury selection on Monday. Prosecutors presented surveillance footage depicting a red Hyundai, identified as Evans’ vehicle, parking adjacent to the rental car within a parking structure. Further video evidence captured the same Hyundai arriving at an apartment complex, where Evans was observed handling luggage believed to belong to Beyoncé’s choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue.
Grant and Blue had previously reported to law enforcement that the stolen items from their vehicle included two MacBook laptops, Apple headphones, high-end apparel and accessories, and crucial hard drives containing, according to investigators, previously unheard material by Beyoncé. Grant also informed authorities that he was in possession of “personal sensitive information” pertaining to the artist.
The prosecution highlighted that tracking technology embedded in the stolen laptops successfully located the devices at the apartment address documented in the second surveillance video.
As a condition of his sentence, Evans is prohibited from contacting the victims and must avoid the car park where the theft occurred. He has been in custody since his apprehension in August of the previous year. A grand jury indicted him in October, and he initially entered a plea of not guilty in January. He had previously declined a similar plea agreement in March, as reported by CBS.
This unfortunate incident took place shortly before Beyoncé was due to commence a four-night engagement of her “Cowboy Carter” tour at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Business Style Takeaway: The theft of unreleased music underscores the immense value placed on intellectual property in the entertainment industry and the heightened security measures required for high-profile artists. For businesses, this serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of digital assets and the critical importance of robust cybersecurity protocols, even for seemingly peripheral operational elements.
According to the portal: www.bbc.com