Chicago rap sensation G Herbo faces up to 20 years behind bars after agreeing to plead guilty in Massachusetts to federal wire fraud charges, allegations that accused him of using stolen identities to fund private jets, a Jamaican villa and “designer puppies,” and then lying about it to federal agents.
A plea agreement laying out the terms of the deal was filed by prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, the same day Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, was ordered to appear in court there due to his recent arrest on gun and drug charges in Chicago.
The potential plea, which still needs to be approved by the judge, comes more than 2 ½ years after the Tribune first reported Wright had been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charge of lying to agents was added in a separate indictment in 2021.
An attorney for Wright could not immediately be reached for comment.
Wright, 28, who hails from the South Side neighborhood some have dubbed “Terror Town,” was accused along with five associates — including promotor Antonio Strong — with using stolen identities to make up to $1.5 million in fraudulent charges for goods and services, including private jet trips, a personal chef, a vacation at a Jamaican villa and the puppies from a business in Michigan.
Wright vehemently denied wrongdoing at the time he was charged, even dropping a new song and video in late 2020 that mocked the federal investigation and touted his rise from troubled South Side streets to international acclaim.
“Ask about me, I ain’t never been a fraud,” he said in the two-minute video titled “Statement,” released on social media at midnight. “I worked hard from the start, in my city I’m a god, (expletive).”
The charges alleged Wright lied to a federal agent in November 2018 about his relationship with Strong, a Chicago rap promoter and the alleged mastermind of the identity theft scheme.
Specifically, Wright falsely said he’d never provided Strong any money, never received anything of value from Strong and had no direct relationship with Strong. In fact, since at least 2016, Wright had received valuable goods from Strong, including private jet charters, luxury accommodations and exotic car rentals, the charges alleged.
Wright and Strong were also in frequent direct contact with each other, including phone conversations, text messages and Instagram messages, the charges stated.
The plea agreement contained numerous text messages between Wright and Strong, including one where Wright called Chicago “the Raq” and allegedly asked Strong to “finesse” him a hotel room, meaning to obtain one through fraudulent means.
“I’m in the Raq. See if you could get me sum for tonight like to check in when I leave for my show tonight,” Wright texted to Strong on July 30, 2016, according to the plea. “Finesse me a room or sum dude get us a crib while we out here or sum bro.”
In 2017, Strong and Wright allegedly conspired to purchase two Yorkshire Terrier puppies from a business called Woof Woof Puppies in Michigan, according to the plea. Strong, using the name “Darren Geiger” and identifying himself as Wright’s manager ordered the dogs for Wright using a stolen credit card.
The pet company appeared to be suspicious and asked for Wright to confirm the order by messaging it directly from his Instagram account, according to the agreement. Strong allegedly sent a text to Wright saying, “Hurry just message that (expletive) hello.”
The indictment alleged Wright did what he was told. The company representative messaged Wright back on Instagram, asking, “You are getting 2 puppies correct?” Wright then confirmed the order, according to the charges.
The puppies were delivered, but the deal apparently soured after the payment was reversed due to suspected fraud.
According to the plea agreement, on December 6, 2017, Wright sent Strong a text message relating to the Woof Woof fraud, saying, “I already finessed these dogs for you & didn’t give no (expletive)… you sold at least one what you did wit the bread ain’t my problem.”
Two months later, one of the Woof Woof owners threatened Wright via a direct message chat, saying they would go to the police if he didn’t resolve it, according to the plea document.
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“We have you in the photo, witnesses, license plate. This is a felony,” the Woof Woof owner wrote, according to the plea.
Wright allegedly responded: “Don’t you see the pictures on my page??? Does that look like me in that pic?? I never met you.”
The Woof Woof owner replied that Wright had messaged directly from his Instagram page while they were on the phone, and “the phone call was recorded.”
“All of this is going to the local police,” the owner said. “They will investigate. You messaging from your official Instagram page shows you were getting 2 puppies. What are you gonna say?? That’s not you??
Wright never responded further, and the dogs were never paid for, according to the plea.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Wright will pay $140,000 in restitution to a variety of alleged victims, including $10,458 to Woof Woof.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
