Eminem’s ex-employee accused of stealing and selling rapper’s unreleased music
By Paula Wethington
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DETROIT (WWJ) — A former employee of rapper and songwriter Eminem is accused of stealing and selling unreleased music from the artist’s studio.
Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan, is a former employee of Marshall Mathers III — known professionally as Eminem — and was named in the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan.
The district attorney’s office reports that, on Jan. 16, 2025, employees of Mathers’ music studio in Ferndale, Michigan, contacted the FBI to report they discovered unreleased music created by the singer that was available on the internet.
“This music was still in the process of being developed by Mathers. The employees obtained an image of a list of the music that Mathers had created, but not released, and was for sale through various internet sites,” the report said. “The employees recognized this as an image taken directly from a hard drive in the Ferndale studio.”
After the FBI got involved, the agents were able to locate multiple people who purchased the unreleased music and learned who sold it.
Strange worked for Mathers from about 2007 until 2021.
“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck said in the press release.
A criminal complaint is a preliminary step in the legal process and, by itself, would not necessarily result in a trial. After the investigation is completed, a decision will be made on whether to seek a felony indictment, the press release from the district attorney’s office said.
Should the case proceed, a conviction of criminal infringement of copyright carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction on interstate transportation of stolen goods would carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency assisted in the case.
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists’ intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said.
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