G Herbo, born Herbert Wright, admitted to participating in a scheme that used stolen credit card information to fund private jet excursions, a trip to a villa in Jamaica, exotic car rentals, and “designer puppies.”
On Friday, Wright pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements to a federal official.
In a written statement, Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said Wright “used stolen account information as his very own unlimited funding source” in order to fund “an extravagant lifestyle and advance his career.” Levy added that the artist “affected countless businesses and individuals across the United States who had to foot his nearly $140,000 bill in unauthorized transactions,” and that he “flaunted his lavish spending on social media, in music videos and in industry news.”
Wright’s attorney, James Lawson, did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
From least March 2017 through November 2018, Wright and his five co-defendants — including promotor Antonio Strong — used stolen cardholders’ names, addresses, security codes and account expiration dates to defraud businesses and individuals throughout the U.S.
“Wright used the proceeds of these frauds to travel to various concert venues and to advance his career by posting photographs and/or videos of himself on the private jets, in the exotic cars, and at the Jamaican villa,” alleged the plea agreement made public earlier this month. “In addition, Wright helped Strong obtain designer puppies from a business by falsely representing to the business that Wright was the actual purchaser of the puppies and by concealing Strong’s actual identity from the business.”
As part his guilty plea, Wright admitted responsibility for $139,878 in victim losses.
Wright was also charged in May 2021 of lying to a federal agent that he never worked with Strong, provided or received anything of value from him, and had no direct relationship with the promoter. The two had worked together since at least 2016 and frequently communicated via phone conversations, texts, and Instagram messages, according to prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni has set a sentencing hearing for Nov. 7, and Wright faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Strong has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
