Rapper Nuke Bizzle, who boasted of fraud in lyrics, is federally charged

The Memphis-based rapper, who resides in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, was taken into custody on September 23 and charged with access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property, which are all felonies, the release states.

His music video for the song "EDD" was posted on his YouTube account back on September 11 and has racked up more than 530,000 views. If convicted on all charges, the rapper could face 22-years in prison.

Bizzle is accused of exploiting a provision in the CARES Act called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which expands access to unemployment benefits to those who would otherwise be ineligible for the benefits.

In the video "Nuke Bizzle" talks about things such as "my swagger for EDD", referring to the state of California's Employment Development Department, in an alleged case of art imitating real life.

Investigators allege that is a reference to the debit cards that are mailed recipients of unemployment insurance. A second man in the video raps, "you gotta sell cocaine, I just file a claim..."

Baines was arrested September 23 by Las Vegas police and was found to be in possession of eight EDD debit cards, seven of which were in the names of other people, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint against Baines.

Las Vegas police also found $49,734 stashed under Baines' seat, according to the affidavit.

Later on, authorities verified that he possessed 92 different debit cards in his possession, all under different names, some belonging to victims of identity theft. "The applications for these debit cards listed addresses to which Baines had access in Beverly Hills and Koreatown".

On Oct. 16, the U.S. Justice Department issued a press release to share details on the arrest of Fontrell Antonio Baines.

Baines raps about allegedly using fraudulent debit cards by saying, "getting rich by go [ing] to the bank with a stack of these".

Bizzle and co-conspirators were able to allegedly access more than $704,000 of the benefits, according to the release. Some of the money was retrieved in Las Vegas.

A Tennessee rapper who boasted about getting rich off $1.2 million in unemployment fraud was arrested Friday in Los Angeles.