Kelvin Lanier Evans Gets 5-Year Sentence for Stealing Unreleased Beyoncé Music
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Kelvin Lanier Evans Gets 5-Year Sentence for Stealing Unreleased Beyoncé Music
10 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Kelvin Lanier Evans, 41, pleaded guilty in Fulton County to entering an automobile and criminal trespass after stealing hard drives containing unreleased Beyoncé music.
Judge Jane C. Barwick imposed a five-year sentence—2 years in prison and the balance on probation—and ordered Evans to avoid the theft location and the victims.
July 8, 2025, the theft targeted a rented 2024 Jeep Wagoneer parked for about an hour in an Atlanta garage by Beyoncé team members Christopher Grant and Diandre Blue.
The stolen suitcases held watermarked tracks, past and future concert set lists, and footage plans for an upcoming show tied to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour.
Atlanta police said fingerprints, security video and GPS tracking from stolen AirPods Max helped lead to Evans' arrest in August 2025; court records do not show whether the files were recovered.
How did a global superstar's most valuable secrets end up in a parked car, vulnerable to a common thief?
With Beyoncé's priceless music still missing, what is the true cost of a simple car break-in?
An AirPod tracked the thief, but the priceless data is gone. Is technology failing to protect what truly matters?