A former employee of rapper Eminem has pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement after copying and selling unreleased music without the artist’s permission, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Joseph Strange, 48, of Holly, Michigan, worked for Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, from about 2007 to 2021. He worked at a recording studio in Ferndale, Michigan, where he had access to password-protected drives containing music that had not been released to the public.
According to court documents, Strange copied at least 10 audio files containing unreleased music and sold them online between July and August 2024, receiving about $50,000. The files later appeared online and became available on public streaming platforms without Eminem’s permission.
By November 2025, the leaked files had been accessed more than 8 million times, according to data from streaming services. The Justice Department estimates the value of the copyright infringement at least $750,000.
Strange pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2027.
The FBI investigated the case, which is being handled by federal prosecutors in Michigan and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.