DETROIT (WXYZ) — A former sound engineer of Detroit rapper Eminem is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing and selling unreleased music that was later leaked on the internet.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck, Joseph Strange, 46, from Holly, is charged with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods.
Prosecutors say that Strange allegedly stole unreleased music created by Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, and sold it on the internet.
Detroit fans say they're disappointed and disheartened about the leak.
“Legendary rapper. Everybody knows Eminem, especially in this area. If you don’t know Eminem, I don’t know where you’re living — you must living under a rock," Eminem fan James Campbell said. “What I will say about stealing an artist’s work? Don’t do it.”
Earlier in January, Billboard reported that Eminem's longtime spokesperson has spoken out against the songs that were released from Eminem's vault over the past few weeks.
"These leaked songs were studio efforts never meant for public consumption … demos, experiments and ideas that are dated and not relevant so many years later,” spokesperson Dennis Dennehy told Billboard. “The latest in a line of unfinished material released against artists’ will and without their permission."
Dennehy also released the following statement to 7 News Detroit:
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. 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.
According to prosecutors, the FBI received a tip in mid-January from employees of Eminem's studio in Ferndale who discovered the unreleased music on the internet. They also found an image of a list of music he created but not released, and realized that the image was taken directly from a hard drive.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court said the employees of the studio told FBI agents that the music is stored on hard drives not accessible to the internet, and that those hard drives are password protected and stored in a safe when not in use.
Joseph Strange reportedly worked for Eminem from 2007 through 2021, and employees say only four people had access to the hard drives – three sound engineers, Joseph Strange, Mike Strange and Tony Campana, and manager John Fischer.
According to the criminal complaint, Eminem contacted a business associate in the United Kingdom for assistance – Fred Nasser, known by his stage name Fredwreck. Fredwreck posted a social media post warning fans about the leaked music, and then a fan reportedly contacted Nasser about the leaks and provided screenshots of a chat between the tipster and a person using the name "Doja Rat."
It's alleged "Doja Rat" purchased the songs from Joseph Strange, and reportedly paid about $50,000 for the music.
Employees conducted a review of the hard drives at the Ferndale studio after they learned of the leak, and on one hard drive, they found the exact listing of songs that were posted on the internet. The hard drive had been in storage and had not been accessed in several years.
During an investigation and a review of the log, files were removed after the attachment of an external hard drive on Oct. 16, 2019 and Jan. 16, 2020, while Joseph Strange was employed at the studio.
According to prosecutors, "Doja Rat" was later identified as a person in Ontario, Canada, who worked with a group to purchase songs from Strange. They reportedly paid $50,000 in Bitcoin for the music over the course of six months for the music. "Doja Rat" told prosecutors he believes someone in the group made the music public on the internet.
The criminal complaint also lists others who purchased the music and allegedly paid Joseph Strange.
On Jan. 28, 2025, FBI agents searched Joseph Strange's home and found numerous original hand-written lyric sheets and notes from Eminem inside a safe, a VHS tape with unreleased music and more.
Agents also found hard drives, and one of those hard drives identified approximately 12,000 audio files, some of Eminem's music and some of the artists who were working with Eminem.
“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.
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists' intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally," FBI Special Agent in Charge of Michigan Cheyvoryea Gibson added in a statement. "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."
You can read the full criminal complaint below
Complaint against Joseph Strange for allegedly stealing unreleased Eminem music by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
