Fontrell Antonio Baines aka “Nuke Bizzle” of Memphis, Tennessee used a stolen identity to obtain $1.2 million in benefits from a COVID-19 jobless relief program and the law caught up with him after seeing him bragging about the money in his music video.
“Nuke Bizzle was arrested for organizing a scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The complaint states Baines possessed and used debit cards that were pre-loaded with unemployment benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
Baines used addresses in Beverly Hills and Koreatown that he had access to on the debit card applications.
The investigation found that 92 debit cards were pre-loaded with more than $1.2 million in fraudulently obtained benefits mailed to the addresses.
Baines and others are believed to have accessed more than $704,000 in cash withdrawals and they also used the cards to purchase merchandise and services.
Baines released a song and video titled “EDD,” the acronym for the California Employment Development Department, in which the lyrics described his fraudulent benefits scheme.
“Nuke Bizzle” and “Fat Wizza” can be seen in the video holding up a stack of envelopes from EDD and rapping “going to the bank with a stack of these.”
In another part of the video, they are seen checking the mail and walking away with envelopes marked EDD rapping, “You got to sell cocaine, I can just file a claim.”
Watch the EDD video below:
After watching the video, the only thing I can say is… WHY?!
Baines was arrested in Las Vegas on September 23.
At the time of his arrest he had eight debit cards on him…seven were in the names of other people.
Baines is being held on three felony offenses: access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
If convicted on all charges, Nuke Bizzle could face up to 22 years in federal prison.
I’m still trying to understand the purpose of the video…
Source: Black Enterprise
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