A former studio engineer for Eminem has been charged with stealing and illegally selling the rapper’s unreleased music—allegedly leaking more than 25 songs to online buyers and fan groups, according to federal prosecutors.
Forty-six-year-old Joseph Strange worked at Eminem’s studio in Ferndale, Michigan, until his dismissal in 2021.
He is now facing federal charges of copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods, Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck confirmed Wednesday to Euronews.
If convicted on both counts, Strange could face up to 15 years in prison.
Music Stolen From Password-Protected Safe
According to an FBI affidavit, Eminem’s unreleased music was stored on password-protected hard drives locked in a studio safe. The alleged theft occurred between October 2019 and January 2020, while Strange was still employed as a sound engineer.
Studio staff alerted the FBI in January after discovering unreleased music—still in development—had surfaced on websites such as Reddit and YouTube.
A forensic review of file transfers confirmed that music was copied to an external hard drive during the timeframe of Strange’s employment.
The investigation took a major turn when a Canadian buyer, using the alias “Doja Rat,” admitted to purchasing 25 unreleased Eminem songs from Strange for approximately $50,000 in Bitcoin.
According to court documents, the buyer raised funds from a group of Eminem fans to make the purchase.
Another individual in Connecticut, known online as “ATL,” reportedly bought a “couple” of tracks for around $1,000.
Strange also allegedly attempted to sell Eminem’s handwritten lyric sheets, the affidavit noted.
FBI Search Yields Vault of Music and Memorabilia
A search of Strange’s home in January uncovered handwritten lyric sheets and personal notes belonging to Eminem, a VHS tape of an unreleased music video, and multiple hard drives containing over 12,000 audio files, including unreleased work by Eminem and unidentified collaborators
Investigators say some of the files were in various stages of development and never meant for public release.
Strange had previously signed a severance agreement that prohibited him from circulating Eminem’s music electronically. Prosecutors argue that his actions not only breached this agreement but also caused substantial harm to the artist and his label, Interscope Capital Labels Group.
The leak prompted Eminem’s longtime business associate Fred Nassar to issue an online warning, urging fans not to share or distribute the stolen content.
