Rapper Who Boasted EDD Fraud In Music Video Due In Court

HOLLYWOOD HILLS, CA — A rapper who bragged about getting rich off unemployment benefits fraud will appear in court today for that very scheme. Prosecutors said Nuke Bizzle applied for over $1.2 million in jobless benefits, and charged the rapper with three felony counts of access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property.

Bizzle, whose real name is Fontrell Antonio Baines, could face up to 22 years in federal prison if convicted.

Prosecutors said the 31-year-old rapper exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provision of the CARES Act, and obtained debit cards pre-loaded with unemployment benefits. The debit cards were issued to victims of identity fraud, and sent to addresses in Beverly Hills and Koreatown that Baines, who lived in the Hollywood Hills, was able to access.

At least 92 debit cards with over $1.2 million in benefits were sent to those locations, according to prosecutors. Baines and his team obtained over $704,000 of that money through cash withdrawals and spent it on merchandise and services.

Prosecutors pointed to one of Nuke Bizzle's music videos called "EDD," where he raps, "I just been swiping for EDD, go to the bank get a stack at least." Elsewhere in the video, he holds up a stack of EDD envelopes and brags about shopping in high end stores.

City News Service contributed to this report.