TMZ.com

R. Kelly owes Uncle Sam nearly $2 million ... and that's exactly why he says he would NOT be a flight risk if he gets released from jail due to the pandemic.

The singer's lawyers filed legal docs arguing Kelly owes a whopping $1,878,737.43 to the IRS to bolster their stance that he can't really skip town should he be released from Chicago MCC. Kelly's in the middle of his second request to get out to avoid catching COVID-19 behind bars.

As we first reported ... prosecutors insist R. Kelly has the means to escape the country, claiming he's already made more than $200k in royalties just this year. But, Kelly's lawyers argue those royalties are likely the gross amount before agents and other people take their cuts. Plus, he says the huge IRS tax lien means the singer doesn't really have access to this money anyway.

They also argue any money he DOES have can be restricted by the feds as condition of his release from jail. Kelly's lawyers also point out while the feds were building a case against him, the singer "made absolutely no attempt to flee" and "never once failed to appear" in court.

As we've reported ... Kelly says he falls into the vulnerable group to contract COVID-19 while behind bars. His lawyers say things have gotten exponentially worse behind bars in just the last few days ... with cases DOUBLING not just for inmates, but staff too.

The judge already shot down Kelly's first attempt to get released.

If at first you don't succeed ...

YNW Melly's request for jail release was denied, but not because his COVID-19 condition is improving ... we've learned the rapper is still feeling effects of the virus.

Sources familiar with Melly's situation behind bars tell us he continues to have labored breathing, body aches and headaches while in Broward County Jail, awaiting trial for double murder. We're told he still has a high temperature and chills, particularly at night -- and is getting Gatorade and Tylenol to ease the virus' effects.

While our sources say Melly's been isolated from his cellmate, who also tested positive, we're told jail staff is not checking on Melly every hour as they're supposed to be.

We broke the story ... the judge in Melly's case denied his request for release. He wanted to be able to get COVID-19 treatment on his own, but the judge said he must request special medical treatment from the Broward Sheriff's Office if needed.

It's unclear if he's done that. We reached out to Melly's attorney, Bradford Cohen, who declined to comment.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office wouldn't speak to Melly specifically, due to privacy laws, but did say ... if an inmate shows acute COVID-19 symptoms, they will be transferred to a hospital.

Translation: That's not YNW Melly at this point.

R. Kelly's first attempt to get out of jail due to coronavirus fears didn't work, but he's going back to the well -- claiming his medical crisis is even worse now, and insisting he won't skip town.

The disgraced singer filed a renewed emergency motion obtained by TMZ asking to get released from lockup based on changed circumstances.

Kelly and his legal team say when he last asked to get out, the court noted there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Chicago jail where he's currently locked up. According to the docs ... that is no longer the case.

Kelly says the Chicago MCC admits there are at least 6 confirmed positive cases now among inmates -- along with 7 staff members -- and argues it's predictably going to get worse. He claims if he doesn't get out soon, it's an "absolute probability" he "will be infected with this deadly disease."

As we reported ... the judge denied his first release request earlier this month, saying the singer failed to explain how he wasn't still a flight risk.

Kelly's got a retort for that now, too -- he claims if he tried to run he would be "the most obvious and recognizable person on the streets of Chicago, or anywhere else in the country, in light of the severe stay-at-home restrictions."

Further, Kelly says there are no flights for him, he's afraid to fly, and he doesn't have a passport or the means to fly.

According to the docs ... he'd also agree to 24/7 surveillance and GPS monitoring to make sure he doesn't go anywhere other than home or meet with anyone other than his lawyers.

The judge has yet to make a decision.

Billy McFarland -- notorious cofounder of the Fyre Festival -- is joining the list of prisoners demanding a release due to the coronavirus, and believes Tekashi 6ix9ine's already set the precedent.

Billy's lawyers sent a letter to the judge requesting he be granted "compassionate release," citing several reasons ... including a COVID-19 outbreak at his prison, preexisting health conditions, and the fact he's a nonviolent offender.

According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the Elkton federal prison in Ohio, where McFarland is serving his sentence is experiencing a severe number of COVID-19 cases and has been called a "breeding ground for the virus" by Congressman Bill Johnson.

There have currently been 36 inmates and 26 staff members who have tested positive at Elkton -- 4 prisoners have died -- and Billy's lawyers claim the situation's even worse.

According to the letter ... McFarland is also an at-risk inmate due to his preexisting health conditions, which allegedly include asthma as a teenager, severe allergies and "heart issues since his early 20s."

Billy's legal team also cites the recent release of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine -- who they refer to as a "former gang member who pleaded guilty to an array of charges including weapons possession, armed robbery and dealing fentanyl and heroin" -- to support their argument.

As we reported, a New York judge released 6ix9ine to home confinement due to his coronavirus concerns and his asthma .... just like McFarland.

Billy's an "ideal candidate for compassionate release," according to the letter, and his team claims he was already on track for possible home confinement release in 2021. He was originally sentenced to serve his wire-fraud sentence until August 2023.

While Tekashi was successful, others have failed. Both R. Kelly and YNW Melly struck out with judges in their attempts for compassionate release.

The Bureau of Prisons has reported at least 446 federal inmates and 248 staff members have tested positive for the virus, with 14 deaths nationwide.

Joaquin Phoenix is joining the chorus of people advocating for some prisoners to be released in order to prevent a coronavirus outbreak among the incarcerated.

The "Joker" star's specifically calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant clemency to NY inmates, saying ... "The spread of coronavirus in prisons threatens the health and safety of all of us."

Phoenix adds that prisoners are unable to practice proper social distancing or maintain good hygiene, putting them at greater risk of infection, and says ... "No one deserves to die in prison from COVID-19."

It's unclear exactly what category of prisoner the actor's suggesting be released -- his message was delivered by the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign -- but Cuomo's office say they're already working on it.

Secretary to the Governor, Melissa DeRosa, tells TMZ ... a process has begun to release inmates "with 90 days or less remaining on their sentence who are 55 years of age or older, and whose underlying crime was not a violent felony or a sex offense."

This sounds similar to the "compassionate release" of qualifying prisoners Van Jones has been pushing for amid the pandemic ... meaning low-level and non-violent offenders.

Of course, many prisons across the country are already seeing high rates of coronavirus infection. Interestingly, one prison with ZERO cases is the supermax in Colorado that houses the most notorious criminals like El Chapo and the Unabomber.

YNW Melly's going to have to get over the coronavirus from his jail cell -- a judge shot down his request to get out while awaiting his double murder trial.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the rapper will remain in the Broward County Jail in Florida despite allegedly testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.

We broke the story ... Melly's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, filed docs claiming his client was suffering from several of the telltale symptoms of coronavirus -- chills, labored breathing, headaches and body aches -- after testing positive.

The rapper's side argued he's in danger of dying due to his infection, along with inadequate care and protection provided by the jail. Melly hoped the judge would release him to house arrest and allow him to be treated at a medical facility at his own expense ... but no dice.

In his order, the judge says if Melly needs special medical treatment while in jail, he can request it from the Broward Sheriff's Office.

This should come as good news for the families of Melly's alleged victims, who opposed the rapper's release request ... stating he didn't deserve it and could potentially be a threat to them and other witnesses.

As you know ... Melly's been in lockup for more than a year after being arrested and charged for the early 2019 double murder of 2 of his friends.

The company behind the EDM fest Lightning in a Bottle is breaking the law by refusing to issue refunds ... or so claims a would-be concertgoer, turned plaintiff.

Michael Geragos of the Geragos Law Group filed a class-action lawsuit against Do Lab, Inc. on behalf of an Illinois woman named Tessa Nesis who purchased a ticket to the festival. Do Lab is the company that puts on the central California festival.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Nesis claims the festival, scheduled for May, allegedly sold between 10,000 and 20,000 tickets, but it was obviously canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. She claims organizers refuse to offer any refunds.

The event released a statement last month saying, "Sadly, we cannot offer refunds for the canceled event. We are, however, working on a plan to make you whole over the next few LIB’s. This will include a system for crediting you for future years."

Gavin Newsom's clueless to think churches are not as essential as burger joints and coffee shops ... so claim a group of church leaders suing him over the lockdown.

A group of pastors and church members filed the suit claiming religious services are "essential for the spiritual health of the congregation so that the congregants can exhort one another during these difficult times."

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, one pastor believes they can hold services so long as they abide by social distancing tips recommended by the CDC ... like keeping congregants at least 6 feet apart and requiring they wear masks and gloves.

The leaders claim California's "shelter-at-home" mandate coupled with its "essential workforce" criteria has denied religious groups their fundamental right to continue congregating.

In fact, one pastor claims he was fined $1,000 for holding service on Palm Sunday. The church leaders are pissed they can't hold services ... even after they disinfect churches and practice social distancing.

According to the suit, they're also pissed baristas, burger flippers and laundromat technicians are considered "essential" ... while attending church is NOT.

The battle between governors and churches boiled over this Easter ... with more than a handful defying "shelter-at-home" orders.