Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2019 17:30:38 GMT -5
FEDS INDICT DETROIT RAPPER: YOUR "SELFMADE KASH" GIG IS UP
Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free PressPublished 3:35 p.m. ET March 7, 2019 | Updated 6:13 p.m. ET March 7, 2019
In music and on social media, Detroit rapper "Selfmade Kash" bragged about being "the greatest 'swiper' of all time" — meaning he was
king of credit card fraud, prosecutors say.
He frequently flashed photos of himself with big wads of cash and credit card skimmers, and wore a gold necklace with a blinged-out
credit card dangling from it.
He even sang a song with the lyrics: "I know one day the feds gonna come pick me up."
He was right.
In U.S. District Court on Thursday, "Selfmade Kash," whose real name is Jonathan Woods, appeared handcuffed and shackled in front of
a judge, indicted on charges of fraud and identity theft. The 25-year-old rapper was arrested in Ohio the day before, when police picked
him up during a traffic stop involving his girlfriend and discovered an outstanding arrest warrant for Woods.
Woods was wanted in Detroit, where a federal grand jury indicted him in January on charges of running a scheme that
involved teaching people how to steal credit cards and commit identity theft. He charged a fee for this service, prosecutors
said, and he wasn't exactly shy about it.
"Woods frequently posts pictures and videos on Twitter and Instagram containing large amounts of money, credit cards and credit card
skimmers to promote his proclivity for credit card fraud," reads the indictment, which also takes a jab at the rapper.
"Woods claimed to be sophisticated at credit card fraud, when, in fact, he is not," stated the indictment, which was unsealed Thursday.
Woods, who appeared in court in black track pants and a white T-shirt, had a court-appointed attorney at his initial appearance. He
was ordered temporarily jailed as Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence Haugabook expressed concern about granting Woods bond. According
to the prosecutor, when Woods was arrested, he told police he lived with his mom in Detroit. But his mother told authorities that her son
lived in Ohio.
A detention hearing will be held Friday to determine whether Woods should be released on bond, or locked up pending the outcome of his case.
According to federal prosecutors, people frequently contacted Woods on social media to ask how they, too, could pull off credit card fraud.
Woods would charge them a fee for his insider tips, but he was scamming them too, prosecutors allege.
According to the indictment, people would send Woods money for his expertise through Western Union and MoneyGram. In exchange, the customers received certain information and BINS (bank information numbers) from Woods, only to learn later that the bank
numbers were nonexistent and the information was worthless.
According to the indictment, which was handed up by a grand jury on Jan. 3, Woods ran his scheme for about a year, from May 2017
through May 2018. He is charged with four counts of wire fraud, possession of unauthorized access devices and aggravated
identity theft.
If convicted, Woods faces up to 20 years in prison.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com