Chicago rappers buy ‘designer puppies’ and private flights in fraud scheme, feds say

Chicago rapper G Herbo and five others are accused buying puppies, private jet flights, yacht charters and making other extravagant purchases in a nationwide fraud conspiracy, federal officials say.

G Herbo, who’s legal name is Herbert Wright, his promoter along and four co-conspirators were indicted Wednesday on wire fraud and identify theft charges in the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

They’re accused of using unauthorized and stolen credit cards to defraud businesses since 2016, prosecutors say. The fraudulent purchases included two designer puppies, private flights to Florida and elsewhere, reservations at a Jamaican villa, and a limousine rental.

They also tried to release an inmate from an Illinois jail using the illicit credit card account information, according to court documents.

Wright’s attorney, James Lawson, declined to comment on the indictment in response to the Chicago Tribune.

In addition to Wright, music promoter Antonio Strong; Joseph Williams, who’s known as rap artist Rockstar Rodie; Demario Sorrells; Steven Hayes; and Terrance Bender — all from the Chicago area — are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Additionally, Strong also is charged with nine aggravated identity theft charge. Wright, Williams, Hayes, Bender and Sorrells are all charged with various counts of aggravated identity theft charges, according to the news release.

The charges against G Herbo went public a day after he appeared in the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. The publication credited his album “PTSD” for appearing in the Billboard 200 and his initiative “Swervin’ Through Stress,” which provides mental health assistance to young Black adults.

If convicted, the “wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000,” according to the news release.

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