ATLANTA — The man accused of stealing unreleased music belonging to Beyoncé in Atlanta will now go to trial after declining a plea deal.
Kelvin Evans is accused of breaking into an SUV in a parking garage near Krog Street Market last summer and stealing items, including jump drives containing unreleased music.
Beyoncé was in Atlanta at the time for her “Cowboy Carter” tour. The SUV was rented for her choreographer during the tour stop.
Evans had previously been expected to plead guilty in the case, but instead told a judge, “I’m ready to go to trial now.”
A trial date has been set for September.
Fulton County prosecutors have said they are seeking a five-year prison sentence for Evans, who has past convictions for car break-ins.
There is no word on whether the unreleased music has been recovered.
The theft happened during Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” stop in Atlanta last summer. That same night, multiple people leaving the concert were injured due to an escalator malfunction at the Vine City MARTA station near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
WSB Radio’s Veronica Water’s contributed to this story.