Kelvin Evans, a 41-year-old man from Atlanta, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to stealing hard drives containing unreleased music linked to global superstar Beyoncé.
The case, which drew intense media attention, unfolded from a 2025 break-in that occurred just days before the singer’s sold-out Cowboy Carter tour stop in Atlanta.
Last July, authorities say Evans broke into a rented Jeep Wagoneer belonging to members of Beyoncé’s team; a choreographer and a dancer, in a downtown Atlanta parking garage. When the owners returned to the vehicle, they found the rear window smashed and two suitcases missing.
Inside those bags were laptops, accessories and multiple hard drives believed to contain unreleased Beyoncé material, including songs and footage plans for upcoming performances.
Hard drives and digital devices like laptops were also taken, though investigators have yet to recover the stolen files.
According to court documents, surveillance footage played a key role in linking Evans to the crime. Video from the parking garage showed a red sedan pulling up beside the parked Jeep and, shortly after, suitcases being removed from the vehicle and carried into an apartment complex tied to Evans’ family.
Tracking technology embedded in some of the victims’ devices helped corroborate the movements authorities observed in the footage.
Evans was arrested in August 2025 and held in the Fulton County jail while the case worked its way through the legal system.
Initially, he faced a jury trial on charges that included entering an automobile with intent to commit theft and criminal trespass.
However, in a hearing earlier this week, he accepted a plea deal on the eve of trial, admitting guilt on the principal charges to avoid a drawn-out courtroom battle.
Senior Judge Jane Barwick presided over the case in Fulton County Superior Court, where Evans was sentenced to a six-year term.
Under the plea agreement, he will serve two years in prison and the remaining three on probation. In addition to his prison sentence, the judge ordered Evans to stay away from the victims and the parking garage where the theft occurred.
During sentencing, Evans’ lawyer told the court that his client hoped to “make money legitimately and be part of society like the rest of us,” a remark that underscored his attorney’s plea for leniency.
Despite his words, prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the crime, noting that stealing intellectual property, especially content tied to one of the world’s most successful artists, had real consequences.
The case garnered international attention partly because it involved unreleased artistic material and partly because of Beyoncé’s stature in the music industry.
At the time of the theft, Beyoncé was preparing for a multi-city stretch of her Cowboy Carter tour, which has been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Law enforcement officials continue to classify the digital files as missing, raising questions about how securely artists and their teams protect sensitive material in an era of constant touring and digital collaboration.
