A judge sentenced a rapper known as “Nuke Bizzle” to federal prison and ordered him to pay over $700,000 for defrauding pandemic unemployment assistance, the Department of Justice said in a press release Wednesday.
The rapper, 33-year-old Fontrell Antonio Baines, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald sentenced Baines to 77 months in federal prison Wednesday and ordered him to pay $704,760 in restitution.
Between July 2020 and Sept. 2020, Baines filed 92 fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims, according to authorities. He also boasted about his criminal scheme in a music video uploaded to YouTube in which he brags about getting rich off of pandemic relief funds. (RELATED: IRS Employees Allegedly Stole $400,000 In COVID Aid And Used it To Buy Cars, Vegas Trips)
The song, featuring “Fat Wizza,” is titled, “EDD,” which stands for Employment Development Department. In it, both Baines and Fat Wizza openly brag about getting “rich off of EDD” and how they “Stole 60k off an SBA” (Small Business Administration).
Lyrics of the rap video found on Genius‘ music encyclopedia read, in part:
“I just been swipin’ for EDD. Go to the bank, get a stack at least… I done got rich off of EDD. Ain’t hit no more licks ’cause of EDD. And just last night, I was sellin’ Ps. And I just woke up to 300 Gs. Stole 60k off a SBA … 10 cards, I’m swiping 10k a day.”
“You gotta sell cocaine, I can just file a claim. N***a, I’m smart and you ain’t. EDD scams that something you heard about … Did 25 claims in four hours … Damn, this shit here better than dealin’ (Yea). Turned me to a scammer, quickly (Yea).”
The “EDD” rap song was released in Aug. 2020 and Baines was arrested in Oct. 2020.
