EXCLUSIVE: Eminem’s Stolen Music Case Takes Major Turn With New Felony Filing

Eminem may avoid a courtroom showdown with Joseph Strange as the former studio employee prepares to resolve his federal music-theft case.

Federal prosecutors filed a one-count criminal information against Strange on August 28, a move that typically precedes a negotiated guilty plea.

The document charges Strange with willfully copying and distributing Eminem’s copyrighted music for commercial advantage and personal financial gain.

Prosecutors claim Strange distributed at least 10 unauthorized copies during a 180-day period between July 2024 and January 2025.

The copyrighted material allegedly belonged to Eminem and carried a combined retail value exceeding $2,500, according to the new filing.

The proposed resolution would replace Strange’s earlier two-charge case with one felony count of criminal copyright infringement.

His original case included copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen property, which carried a combined possible sentence of 15 years.

The new filing does not contain a signed plea agreement, recommended sentence or date for Strange to formally admit guilt.

It does show prosecutors intend to seize property used to commit the offense and anything purchased with proceeds from the alleged sales.

Strange would also face a money judgment equal to his profits if the judge accepts a guilty plea and enters a conviction.

AllHipHop previously reported that Strange worked at Eminem’s Effigy recording studio in Ferndale, Michigan, from 2007 until 2021.

Authorities accused the former audio engineer of taking more than two dozen unreleased songs recorded between 1999 and 2018.

The material allegedly came from password-protected hard drives stored offline inside a locked safe at Eminem’s private studio.

Employees contacted the FBI in January 2025 after recognizing unfinished Eminem recordings that appeared for sale and later circulated online.

Investigators said a Canadian buyer using the name “Doja Rat” paid Strange and helped organize purchases with other collectors.

The group allegedly sent nearly $50,000 in Bitcoin for unreleased songs before some tracks appeared on Reddit and YouTube.

A January 2025 search of Strange’s Michigan home reportedly uncovered 12,000 audio files, handwritten Eminem lyrics and an unreleased music video.

Investigators also found digital folder information that allegedly matched a protected studio drive accessed while Strange still worked for Eminem.

The studio logs showed files were removed in October 2019 and January 2020, years before the music became public.

Eminem’s spokesperson Dennis Dennehy described the allegations as a serious betrayal of the rapper and everyone involved in creating the recordings.

“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,” Dennehy said.

“We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem’s art and will stop at nothing to do so.”

Strange has not entered a guilty plea yet, and the court must approve any agreement before the proposed resolution becomes final.