Los Angeles-based rapper Nuke Bizzle was very open about exploiting the California Employment Development Department (EDD) for financial gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, he was so brazen that he released a song and music video titled "EDD," where he bragged about getting "rich off of EDD."
On Wednesday, Nuke Bizzle's 2020 caught up to him as the 33-year-old was sentenced to over six years in prison for illegally acquiring over $700,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits from July 2020 to September 2020. In addition to his sentence, Nuke Bizzle (real name Fontrell Antonio Baines) was ordered to pay $704,760 in restitution.
The rapper, who's originally from Memphis, Tennessee, used identity theft victims to submit false applications. The phony paperwork included false work histories and addresses in Beverly Hills and Koreatown. Baines obtained pre-loaded debit cards totaling $704,760 after submitting 92 fraudulent claims.
Baines' legal troubles didn't stop there, as the rapper faced additional charges outside of the EDD case. He was charged with illegally possessing a semi-automatic pistol. Before his sentencing, Baines pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute.
Source: KTLA
