Joseph Strange, who worked for Eminem from 2007 to 2021, faces years in prison if convicted on the charges.
A former employee of Em's is accused of stealing and selling Em's unreleased music for $50,000
Ex-Employee Joseph Strange who worked for Marshall “Eminem” Mathers exposed for stealing songs.
A former employee of Eminem has been charged with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods in connection with the sale of unreleased music by the Grammy-winning Detroit rapper.
On Wednesday (March 19), According to the criminal complaint, the FBI was alerted on Jan. 16, 2025, by employees of the rapper’s studio in Ferndale, Michigan who discovered unreleased music created by Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, that had leaked online and was available for sale. Per the filing, employees recognized an image of a list of the unreleased music by Mathers on the internet as an image taken from a hard drive in the studio. The FBI identified multiple individuals that purchased the unreleased music, and those individuals identified Joseph Strange, was an employee of Mathers from about 2007 until 2021, as the person selling the music. The music “was still in the process of being developed by” the rapper, per a press release.
Eminem’s longtime spokesperson Dennis Dennehy provided this statement to Variety, said that the rapper is pleased with the latest development in the case. “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,” he said. “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.”
The FBI Oakland County Resident Agency is investigating the case, and they eventually tracked down those who purchased Eminem’s unreleased music, and they identified Strange as the seller.
“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,” Beck said in a statement.
If convicted of criminal infringement of a copyright, strange faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As for the charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods, he could face a maximum of 10 years in prison
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists’ intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions.”
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