G Herbo and four associates have been charged with using stolen credit card details and ID information to pay for private jets, expensive meals and even designer puppies over the last four years.
Herbo, a Chicago native, was charged in federal court on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The rapper, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, is listed along with Joseph Williams, Steven Hayes Jr., Demario Sorrells and Terrence Bender in the 14-count indictment.
According to a report in the The Chicago Sun-Times, the scheme began in 2016 when Wright and his co-defendants used “dark web sites” to obtain stolen credit card information.
Read More: Lil Nas X: Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator ‘made it easier’ to be queer artist
The indictment, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, says they used fake ID cards, driver’s licenses and email accounts to defraud people and various businesses.
“Generally, because the defendants and their co-conspirators provided authentic payment card information, the defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed their transactions and provided the goods and services,” it states.
The five men would allegedly pass the stolen information through text messages, social media direct messages and phone calls.
Read More: Larsa Pippen’s son, Scotty Pippen Jr., responds to Beasley dating rumors
AllHipHop.com is reporting that Herbo’s girlfriend, who is unnamed in the indictment, was also involved but not charged.
The rapper was most recently romantically linked with Taina Williams, daughter of Emily Bustamante and stepdaughter of rapper Fabolous.
In one case, the men allegedly ordered two puppies from a company, then used the same stolen card information to pay for a car service to transport the dogs.
Read More: North Carolina judge denies request to ban pastor accused of being ‘danger to community’
In another example, they allegedly used stolen credit card information to fund a luxury-villa stay in Jamaica.
His hometown newspaper notes that while G Herbo “has been slapped with weapons and battery charges in recent years, he’s most recently made headlines for his community outreach on the South Side, hosting food drives and back-to-school giveaways in West Pullman and Bronzeville.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!