S. Samuel
Months after being arrested for his role in a huge credit card scam, West Coast rapper Charles "Guerilla Black" Williamson has pleaded guilty in court this week.
According to reports, Black did not bother to claim innocence in the $150,00 case.
On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and unauthorized access to a protected computer to facilitate fraud, both of which carry a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as access device fraud (up to 15 years and $250,000 fine), bank fraud (up to 30 years and $1 million fine) and aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum sentence of two years consecutive to any other prison terms resulting from the case. Williamson’s sentencing has been set for Oct. 10. (Shoreline Patch)
Earlier this year, Black found himself in handcuffs for his connection to the case.
Compton rapper Guerilla Black was arrested in connection with a major credit card fraud investigation, police said Wednesday. The 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Charles Tony Williamson, was taken into custody Wednesday morning by local officers and agents from the U.S. Secret Service, according to the Manhattan Beach Police Department. Black and four others were apprehended by authorities who served search warrants at seven locations across Los Angeles County. Black was on a pre-trial release after being indicted by federal authorities in Washington on fraud charges, Manhattan Beach police said in a statement. (Los Angeles Times)
Guerilla initially ran into problems when police arrested him last summer in connection to the credit card case.
A rap artist is in jail after allegedly buying and using thousands of stolen credit card numbers that were hacked from Seattle area businesses. The rapper, known as Guerilla Black, was arrested in Los Angeles Thursday on a 22 count indictment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Charles Williamson, 33, bought more than 27,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers. Williamson is accused of working with two other men who’ve already been indicted for hacking into computers at a restaurant in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood and a restaurant supply company in Shoreline. (My Northwest)
The scam reportedly lasted from January 2011 to February 2012 and earned him roughly $150,000.
Williamson’s alleged conspirators David Benjamin Schrooten, 22, of the Netherlands, and Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Keedysville, Md., were indicted previously; Schroebel has since pleaded guilty. Prosecutors contend the young men stole and sold the credit card information, which Williamson put to use within hours of the thefts. Prosecutors claim Williamson received at least 27,257 stolen credit card numbers and stole at least $150,000. Williamson is alleged to have emailed instructions to Schroebel and Schrooten, telling them that he wanted to purchase “dumps” of stolen credit card numbers in lots of 100, 500 or more. (Seattle PI)
