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The rappers - a group that includes G Herbo and Rockstar Rodie - are from the Chicago area and were indicted for participating in an alleged nationwide wire fraud and identity theft scheme.
The indicted men are Antonio Strong, 28; Herbert “G Herbo” Wright, 25; Demario Sorrells, 34; Steven Hayes, 28; Joseph “Rockstar Rodie” Williams, 28; and Terrance Bender, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts. They were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- Strong was also charged with nine counts of aggravated identity theft.
- Williams was also charged with three counts of aggravated identity theft.
- Wright, Hayes, and Bender were also each charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft.
- Sorrells was also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.
G Herbo may be the one among the men with the most commercial success. He released an album, "PTSD," this year and has put out at least 10 albums and mixtapes overall. His Instagram has nearly 6 million followers.
Starting in 2016, the rappers allegedly conspired to use unauthorized and stolen payment card accounts to obtain goods and services that included private chefs, vacation rentals, limos, security guards, private jets, yacht chartered, luxury hotels, and designer puppies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The men allegedly pulled off the fraud by providing legitimate cardholder names, addresses, payment card account numbers, and security codes to defraud the people and businesses that successfully processed the transactions. The actual cardholders would discover the extra charges and dispute them resulting in card companies reversing payments and charging the transactions back to the businesses and people the men engaged, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Once criminal charges were levied, most of the men self-surrendered in late November or early December instead of being arrested, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The men are facing up to 20 years and fines of $250,000 for the wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
Among the law enforcement agencies that worked to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the six men are the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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