If “snitching on yourself” was a person...
Rapper Nuke Bizzle was arrested and charged with three felonies after bragging about getting rich by fraudulently applying for unemployment benefits using stolen identities. We can’t make this ish up. More inside…
Despite being in the middle of a pandemic, folks will still find a way to plot and scheme.
A rapper – who goes by the stage name Nuke Bizzle– thought it was a good idea to make a music video where he brags about getting rich from Coronavirus unemployment benefits. The Justice Department announced the arrest of Nuke Bizzle (real name Fontrell Antonio Baines) for fraudulently applying for more than $1.2 million in aid.
These COVID-19 incentives are to help people struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic and it clearly has some folks doing the absolute most. Even some celebs. Nuke Bizzle was arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The 31-year-old, who is from Memphis and lives in Los Angeles, was charged with three felonies, which include access device fraud, aggravated identity theft and interstate transportation of stolen property, federal prosecutors said. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years in prison. Sheesh!
According to authorities, Nuke allegedly used 92 debit cards loaded with a total of more than $1.2 million in benefits. Apparently, Nuke had the cards mailed to Los Angeles area addresses he had access to in Beverly Hills and Koreatown. Through cash withdrawls, Nuke was able to use more than $704,000, some withdrawls which were made in Las Vegas, the authorities said. Police caught up with him in Las Vegas September 23rd and he was in possession of eight debit cards – seven of which were NOT in his name.
Crossing state lines to do fraud is DEF not the move.
In the music video's caption on YouTube, the rapper claims the video was made for "entertainment purposes," however it's unclear when the disclaimer was posted.
The NY Times reports:
The rappers brag in the video about their “swagger for E.D.D.” while holding stacks of E.D.D. envelopes, and about getting rich by going “to the bank with a stack of these.”
A disclaimer below the video says that it was made with props “for entertainment purposes.” It is not clear when the disclaimer was added.
Mr. Baines also bragged about the scheme in videos posted to his Instagram accounts, according to an affidavit.
Fraud linked to identity theft accounted for about 3 percent of all unemployment claims last year, according to government audits. But as unemployment has skyrocketed because of the coronavirus crisis, so have fraudulent claims for unemployment assistance.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
You can check out the video below:
Photo: YouTube screenshot from music video
