A Former Eminem Employee Is Facing Criminal Charges For Allegedly Selling Unreleased Music From The Rapper

A former Eminem employee is in big trouble right now: Variety reports that federal prosecutors have charged Joseph Strange with copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods, after he allegedly stole and sold some of Eminem’s unreleased music. The purchasers of the unreleased songs put more than 25 of them online back in January.

Strange is facing some serious potential consequences: He could get a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of copyright infringement. Also, if he’s found guilty of interstate transportation of stolen goods, he could face up to ten years in prison.

Per the criminal complaint, Strange was a sound engineer for Eminem from 2007 to 2021. After the songs leaked, the FBI identified multiple people who had purchased the unreleased music, and they led the FBI to Strange. The FBI searched Strange’s residence on January 28, where they found and seized hard drives containing unreleased music.

In a statement shared with Variety, longtime Eminem spokesperson Dennis Dennehy said:

“Eminem and his team are very appreciative of the efforts by the FBI Detroit bureau for its thorough investigation which led to the charges against Joe Strange. The significant damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem’s artistic legacy and creative integrity cannot be overstated, let alone the enormous financial losses incurred by the many creators and collaborators that deserve protection for their decades of work. We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem’s art and will stop at nothing to do so.”