S. Samuel
West Coast rapper Guerilla Black is reportedly behind bars after getting arrested for his role in a $150,000 credit card scam.
According to reports, police busted Black in Los Angeles on Thursday (July 12).
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 Black 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)
Details on the multiple charges he now faces have also surfaced.
He’s being charged with conspiracy to access protected computers to further fraud, to commit access device fraud and to commit bank fraud. He’s also facing two counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization to further fraud, six counts of access device fraud, eight counts of bank fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft. (KOMO News)
The West Coast rapper’s claim to fame came in the mid-2000’s.
Compton, CA-based MC Guerilla Black, a dead ringer for Notorious B.I.G., was born in Chicago and spent time with his family in Mississippi before heading to the West Coast. An initial label deal fell through, leading Black to give up on his ambitions; his life took an extreme turn for the worse when he lost his wife to meningitis, but his brother coaxed him back into MC’ing. Virgin caught wind of his talent, signed him to a deal, and released the Guerilla City album in 2004. “You’re the One,” featuring Mario Winans, began to gather steam during the tail end of the year. (All Music)
Check out Guerilla Black’s “Compton” music video below:
