Randallstown Rapper Allegedly Used Company Card To Further Music Career

A rap artist from Randallstown was indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations he made more than $4.1 million in unauthorized purchases with a company credit card in part to promote his rap brand, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Chad Arrington, who raps under the name Chad Focus, faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was returned on May 29 and unsealed upon his initial appearance Tuesday.

The indictment states that while working for a company as a search engine optimization specialist, Arrington, 31, was assigned an American Express card and signed an agreement stipulating he would only use it for business expenses. From January 2015 through August 2018, he and four co-conspirators allegedly used the card both to promote the Chad Focus name and to make unauthorized personal purchases. Arrington allegedly used the card to make more than $1.5 million in unauthorized purchases from two of his co-conspirators. They then funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars back to Arrington.

Prosecutors said Arrington used the card to buy sound equipment, studio kits, instruments and music technology which he used to craft his stage name and music through the company he formed, Focus Music Entertainment LLC. He also allegedly used the card to artificially inflate his play counts on online music platforms, to purchase likes and followers on social media, and to buy billboards promoting his work across the country, among other things.

His song "Dance with Me" charted on Billboard in April 2018. His Instagram page includes pictures of billboards touting his work in multiple places, including New York's Times Square.

He allegedly asked two of his co-conspirators to use computer software to make false entries on the card's billing statements, so as to conceal the purchases from his supervisor and the company. He also allegedly forged his supervisor's signature on the billing statements to make it look as if certain purchases were approved.

He also allegedly used the card to make more than $250,000 in purchases related to an unnamed bike-sharing company.

If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 68 years in prison. A magistrate judge ordered him held pending a detention hearing set for Friday.