India, June 17 -- Federal prosecutors have denied R. Kelly's request to be released from prison, dismissing his claim that officials conspired to have him killed behind bars.

Kelly, who is serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex crimes, along with a separate 20-year sentence for child pornography convictions in Chicago, has alleged that prison staff tried to have him assassinated. According to a report by Variety, his attorneys stated that they have clear evidence that officials at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina hired an inmate to kill him in an effort to cover up misconduct by the government.

Prosecutors pushed back strongly, calling the accusation "deeply unserious" and "repugnant." They also argued that the judg...