A former sound engineer for Grammy Award-winning rapper Marshall Mathers—popularly known as Eminem—has been charged with selling the musician’s unreleased songs for $50,000 in Bitcoin.
Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan, is accused of selling at least 25 tracks that Eminem recorded between 1999 and 2018, which were still in development and never meant for public release, as per a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern Office of Michigan.
The federal charges include criminal copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods, as the tracks were leaked online without Eminem's consent.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe was triggered by tips from Eminem's studio employees, who saw the stolen music posted online on platforms including Reddit and YouTube, as per an affidavit filed by the agency on Wednesday.
On January 28, in a search of Strange’s home in Holly, FBI agents found hard drives containing copies of the stolen music, as well as handwritten lyric sheets by Eminem and a VHS tape containing an unreleased Eminem music video.
If convicted, Strange faces up to 10 years in prison for interstate transportation of stolen goods and up to five years for criminal copyright infringement. He could also face a fine of up to $250,000.
Strange, who worked at the studio from 2007 to 2021, was one of the four employees who had direct access to the hard drives, and authorities allege he took advantage of this access to steal the music, the affidavit noted.
Notably, one of the other individuals with access was Mike Strange, Joseph's uncle, who continues to work at Eminem's studio as an engineer.
The agents also found financial records documenting payments for the music Joseph Strange is accused of having sold, linking him to the transactions.
According to the FBI, Strange sold the tracks to a 31-year-old man from Ontario, Canada, known as “Doja Rat,” for $50,000 in Bitcoin.
Doja Rat later told the FBI that he raised the funds with the help of a group of Eminem fans.
The Canadian man also revealed that Strange claimed to possess more than 300 unreleased tracks and handwritten lyric sheets created by Eminem.
"The significant damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem's artistic legacy and creative integrity cannot be overstated, let alone the enormous financial losses incurred by the many creators and collaborators that deserve protection for their decades of work," Eminem's representative said in a statement to The Detroit Free Press.
Eminem’s music has been leaked without his permission a number of times in the past, with unauthorized tracks appearing online in the early 2000s and 2010s. In 2002, a leak of “The Eminem Show” led to the album’s release date being moved up to prevent further piracy.
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