Rapfix.mtv.com:
By Carter Maness
While bragging about drug deals is commonplace in hip-hop, the criminal underworld of credit card fraud is a bit more rare. Yet that’s the con of choice for rapper Guerilla Black, real name Charles Tony Williamson, who was arrested on a 22-count indictment by the United States Attorney’s Office for buying thousands of credit card numbers.
According to the Attorney’s Office, the numbers came via hacks on two computers owned by Seattle-area businesses. “Today’s arrest shows that criminals cannot hide in cyberspace. We prosecute all parts of the criminal gang – regardless of where they may be,” said Jenny A. Durkan, an attorney prosecuting the case. “I commend the cyber investigator of the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force for making sure that all participants – from the hackers to the end purchasers of stolen data – are held accountable.”
Williamson, who was scheduled to make his first appearance in a Los Angeles District Court yesterday, is charged with conspiracy to access protected computers for fraud, access device fraud, bank fraud, accessing a computer without authorization and aggravated identity theft.
The Attorney’s Office claims that Williamson possessed 27,258 stolen credit card numbers. They claim close to $150,000 in fraud was attributed to 134 of those numbers.
The veteran Compton rapper, known for a booming voice that sounds like Biggie, has not released an album since 2007’s God Bless The Child.
