Joseph Strange, a former employee of rapper Eminem, has pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement for copying and selling the artist’s unreleased music without his knowledge or permission. According to the US Department of Justice, Strange sold at least 10 audio files online for approximately $50,000. The leaked tracks were subsequently made available on public streaming platforms and had been accessed more than eight million times as of November 2025.Strange, 48, from Holly, Michigan, entered his guilty plea in the Eastern District of Michigan on a charge related to the unauthorised reproduction and sale of music created by Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Eminem’s former employee copied unreleased music from studio hard drives
According to court documents, Strange worked for Mathers from approximately 2007 to 2021. During his employment, he worked at a studio in Ferndale, Michigan, which the rapper used to create and develop music for future sale and distribution.Strange also helped set up and operate a computer system that stored Mathers’ music. As part of his work, he had access to password-protected hard drives containing tracks and other material in various stages of development that were not yet intended for public release.At some point during his employment, Strange copied 10 or more audio files from one or more of these drives without authorisation, according to the Justice Department. Between July and August 2024, he sold and transmitted at least 10 of the files to buyers over the internet, receiving approximately $50,000. The transactions took place without Mathers’ knowledge or permission.
Leaked Eminem tracks were accessed over 8 million times
The music files sold by Strange eventually appeared online and became available on various public streaming platforms without Mathers’ prior knowledge or consent.According to facts cited by the government, the material was not necessarily going to be commercially released, and no release was imminent or certain. However, professional efforts had been made to prepare some of the tracks for possible commercial distribution, with some having undergone studio mastering.Data provided by several streaming services showed that, as of November 2025, the infringing audio files identified by the government had been accessed more than eight million times. The estimated infringement amount associated with the stolen files was at least $750,000.
Joseph Strange abused a position of trust
Joseph Strange sold unreleased Eminem music for approximately $50,000, with the estimated copyright infringement amount reaching at least $750,000.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said Strange had abused his position of trust by unlawfully copying and selling Eminem’s unreleased music for personal profit.“His conduct undermined both legal and artistic rights,” Duva said, adding that the Criminal Division remained committed to protecting intellectual property, holding accountable those who profit from stolen creative content, and working with law enforcement partners to deter such crimes.US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan also emphasised the importance of protecting property rights, including intellectual property. He said his office would work to hold accountable those who steal the physical or intellectual property of Americans.
FBI praises investigation into the unauthorised sale of Eminem’s music
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said Detroit had a strong creative culture and that no one had the right to profit from another artist’s work without permission.Runyan described the guilty plea as a reminder that those who compromise the integrity of another person’s creative work can be held accountable. She also commended the FBI’s Oakland County Resident Agency and the wider investigative team for their work on the case.The FBI official acknowledged the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio during the investigation, adding that protecting intellectual property also meant safeguarding the time, talent and livelihoods invested in creative work.
Eminem’s former employee faces up to five years in prison
Strange has pleaded guilty to criminal infringement of a copyright. His sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2027. He faces a maximum prison term of five years, although the final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The FBI investigated the case. Senior Counsel Vasantha Rao of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), along with Assistant US Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu for the Eastern District of Michigan, are prosecuting it.The Justice Department said CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property offences in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, the section has secured the convictions of more than 180 cybercrime and intellectual property offenders and obtained court orders for the return of more than $350 million in victim funds.
