A former employee of Marshall Mathers — aka entertainer Eminem — is named in a federal criminal complaint for allegedly stealing and selling some of his unreleased music.

Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly is charged with two counts of criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

According to the criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan, the FBI launched an investigation in January after employees of Mathers’ music studio in Ferndale reported finding a list of Mathers’ unreleased music — still in development — available for puchase on the Internet. The list was reportedly taken directly from a hard drive in Mathers’ Ferndale studio.

FBI tracked down multiple people who had bought the unreleased music who identified Strange as the seller, the complaint states. Strange reportedly worked for Mathers from approximately 2007 through 2021.

“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists’ intellectual  property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally,” Cheyvoryea Gibson,  special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, stated in a news release. “Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions.”

If convicted of the copyright infringement charge, Strange could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The interstate transportation of stolen goods charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison/

“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of  creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals  who seek to profit from the creative output of others,”  Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck stated in the release.

The case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency, and prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu.

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A 47-year-old Clarkston man is facing charges for allegedly having “tens of thousands” of child pornography images — including some involving animals, officials said.

The complaint against Benjamin Guy Weeks, issued March 18 in 52-2 District Court, lists charges of three counts each of aggravated child sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit a crime.

According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, law enforcement confiscated approximately 35 hard drives, multiple thumb drives, CDs and computer devices from Weeks’ home containing tens of thousands of files showing child sexual abuse, including bestiality.

It’s believed Weeks was attempting to create a computer server to manage and share the files, the prosecutor’s office said.

“The scale of depravity uncovered in this case is shocking,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. “Behind every one of these images and videos is a child who was the victim of unspeakable abuse. I’m committed to aggressively prosecuting child pornography cases so we can protect the next child from becoming a victim.”

The court file shows the alleged crimes dating back to 2023. Jeff Wattrick, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, told The Oakland Press that the casa wasn’t turned over to the Oakland County prosecutor until this month and that the prosecutor’s office “moved quickly to file charges and authorize an arrest.”

Aggravated child sexually abusive activity is punishable by up to 25 years in prison and/or a $125,000 fine. Using a computer to commit a crime carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine, possibly as a consecutive sentence, the prosecutor’s office said.

Arraignment is pending.

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A Lake Orion was handed a lengthy prison sentence Tuesday for a fatal hit-and-run last year in Auburn Hills.

At a hearing in Oakland County Circuit Court, Judge Yasmine Poles sentenced 35-year-old Kenneth Briddnell Carroll to 25-60 years for the June 6, 2024 crash that killed Thomas Jerome Fisher, 68. The collision happened on Walton Boulevard near Perry Street in Auburn Hills, and also caused critical injuries to Carroll’s passenger.

According to police, Carroll fled after crashing a Kia Forte into a Ford F-150 pickup truck, trapping Fisher in the Ford F-150. Fisher was subsequently extricated and transported to an area hospital where he died, police said.

Moments before the crash, an Auburn Hills patrol officer had pursued the Kia after witnessing it speeding south on Lapeer Road and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver — later identified as Carroll — accelerated and fled, reportedly reaching speeds up to 88 mph. The officer reportedly chased the Kia for approximately a quarter mile before ending the pursuit. Further down the roadway, the officer discovered the collision, police said.

Carroll was arrested after a citizen reported seeing him in a wooded area approximately a half-mile from the crash site, police said. When he was arrested, Carroll was in possession of a controlled substance, police said.

In January, Carroll pleaded no contest to reckless driving causing death, reckless driving causing serious impairment of bodily function, fleeing and eluding, failing to stop after the crash, driving without a valid license and narcotics possession. For the drug charge, he was sentenced to the 284 days he already served in the Oakland County Jail. The jail credit was also applied to his sentence on the other charges.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.

Carroll got an enhanced sentence due to him being a habitual offender. His criminal history includes convictions for aggravated domestic violence and probation violation.

Fisher’s obituary states he was the father of two, an accomplished musician and “a successful and premier interior painter” with his own business. He grew up in Birmingham.

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A 24-year-old Pontiac man is in police custody, accused of stabbing a woman multiple times Monday night allegedly because she had worn his clothing.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spoke to the woman at an area hospital’s emergency department where she had gone for treatment of multiple stab wounds. The woman, a 25-year-old Pontiac resident, reportedly told deputies she had been stabbed during a fight over her wearing the suspect’s clothes.

Based on further information from the woman and a witness who reportedly had driven the woman to the hospital, deputies went to a residence in the 100 block of Cherry Hill Drive in North Hills Farms housing complex to confront the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.

As stated in the deputies’ report: “Initially, the suspect refused to answer the door, but after continued announcements of law enforcement presence and a secure perimeter being set, the individual ultimately surrendered to deputies without further incident. Another male was located inside of the home and taken into custody as well for investigative follow up.”

Charges are pending for the suspect, who’s held in the Oakland County Jail.

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The Pontiac woman facing felonies for allegedly abandoning her three children to live in a filth-ridden home for years has been charged with additional crimes.

As announced Tuesday by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, three counts of welfare fraud are filed against Kelli Bryant, in addition to the three charges of first-degree child abuse filed against her last month.

Bryant, 34, is accused of collecting $29,397 from January 2022 through February 2025 in support payments by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services while the children were living alone. It’s alleged Bryant abandoned the children in 2020 or 2021.

The prosecutor’s office said a review of Bryant’s MDHHS payments showed the overpayment, leading to the charges.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the alleged fraud indicates Bryant stole from her children.

“The defendant appears to have effectively abandoned her children while collecting their public assistance,” McDonald stated in a news release. “This crime is, first and foremost, a theft from Kelli Bryant’s children. These resources were intended to ensure they had the basic necessities denied to them. The children deserved better.”

Welfare fraud more than $500 is punishable by up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. For the first-degree child abuse charges, Bryant faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The case against Bryant unfolded in February after deputies were called to a residence on Lydia Lane in the Stonegate Pointe townhomes for a welfare check and found Bryant’s children, a 15-year-old boy and his sisters, ages 13 and 12, hiding inside. The townhome was filled with large piles of garbage, mold and human waste throughout, had an overflowing toilet and a feces-filled bathtub, officials said. It was described as “uninhabitable.”

When rescued, the girls were covered in feces, and all three children had matted hair and toenails several inches long making it difficult to walk, officials said.

Bryant had reportedly been arranging for food to be dropped off at the home each week, but toilet paper, soap and hygiene products were never provided, officials said. The children, who’ve since been placed with relatives, hadn’t gone to school for years.

Bryant is held in the Oakland County Jail, with bond set at $50,000 — recently reduced from the $250 million bond set at her Feb. 20 arraignment for the child abuse charges.

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A 16-year-old male student at Lake Orion High School is facing a charge of making a threat of violence against a school which, according to Sheriff Mike Bouchard, resulted in hundreds of his fellow students staying home from school this week.

The teen was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stating on social media that an unnamed person was going to shoot up the school on March 5 “and many people will die,” the sheriff’s office said.

The threat was reportedly made at 3 a.m. last Saturday and was subsequently discovered by a resident who brought it to the attention of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s Computer Crime Unit detectives obtained search warrants to identify the message’s alleged sender, officials said.

The teen was being held in Oakland County Children’s Village on Wednesday ahead of a scheduled afternoon court hearing to determine next steps in the case.

Because of the threat, Bouchard said, 490 Lake Orion High School students called in sick on Monday; absences totaled 255 on Tuesday and 356 on Wednesday.

“Once again, we have someone who made a threat against a school and through the diligent work of our team we were able to locate and subsequently arrest him,” Bouchard said. “Let me reiterate, if you make a threat, you will be tracked down and held to account.”

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The suspect in a series of home invasions is scheduled to have a preliminary exam in a few weeks for a judge to determine if there’s probable cause to advance the case against him in Troy to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.

The exam is set for March 20 for the case against Brian Maurice Kellum, aka Brian Maurice Walker, charged with two counts of second-degree home invasion and driving while license suspended.

Kellum, 41, was taken into custody at a traffic stop on Jan. 24 in Troy, about 90 minutes after a home break-in in the 2100 block of East Big Beaver was reported, police said.

Troy police said the arrest resulted from “an intensive investigation led by the Special Investigations Unit.” Kellum is believed to have been involved in other home invasions in Troy and the surrounding area, police said.

When arrested, Kellum had an expired identification from Georgia but had been staying with family in Troy, police said.

The preliminary exam will be held before 52-4 District Judge Maureen McGinnis. For now, Kellum is in the Oakland County Jail, with bond set at $100,000.

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A new trial date is set in Wayne County for a Southfield woman accused of killing her friend’s young child in Detroit last year.

Jury selection is scheduled to start May 27 for the case against Iesha Harris, 30, charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in connection with the death of 3-year-old Harmoni Henderson. It’s alleged Harris fatally assaulted the child while babysitting her at a home in the 15700 block of Southfield Road. The child was privately transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead on March 17, 2024, officials said.

Trial had previously been scheduled to start last December.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the child died from blunt force trauma, believed to have been caused by Harris. Last year, Harris underwent a psychiatric/psychological evaluation and was found to be competent to stand trial.

Harris is scheduled to return to court in March for a pretrial hearing.

Judge Kelly Ramsey of Michigan’s 3rd Judicial Circuit Court in Detroit will preside over the trial. If convicted, Harris faces up to life in prison. She’s jailed in Detroit, denied bond.

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A Berkley man recently charged with a sex crime against a young teen in Oakland County is facing a similar charge in Wayne County.

Darren Joshua Bradford, 24, was arraigned Thursday in Grosse Pointe Park Municipal Court on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct that allegedly happened in his car with a 15-year-old girl. According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, the assault occurred at approximately 5 p.m. on Feb. 5 in the area of Windmill Pine Drive and Berkshire Road.

Bond was set at $250,000.

In Oakland County, Bradford is charged with one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct against a victim, age 13-15 years old, multiple variables. He was arrested Feb. 21 at this home. As reported earlier, Berkley’s Department of Public Safety said Bradford allegedly welcomed minors into his apartment regularly and allegedly gave them alcohol, marijuana and nicotine products, then allegedly had sex with one of them. The case unfolded after police reportedly received a tip and launched an investigation. Additional charges in the Oakland County case could be coming, police said.

Bradford’s next court appearance for the Oakland County case is scheduled for March 7, for a probable cause conference. His probable cause conference in the Wayne County case is scheduled for March 12. Worthy said additional information on the Wayne County case will be placed on the record at Bradford’s preliminary examination.

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The fourth man accused in the slaying of marijuana businessman Sam Simko of Commerce Township remains locked up in a Cincinnati-area jail, fighting extradition to Michigan.

Christopher Matacia, 34, is facing charges of felony murder, armed robbery, two counts of felony firearm and firearm-possession by a prohibited person for his alleged role in the robbery and murder of Simko, gunned down on Jan. 13 at his cannabis grow facility in Pontiac.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Matacia’s extradition was approved on Jan. 31, the same day he was admitted to the Hamilton County (Ohio) Jail. According to his jail record, Matacia has had a couple of court hearings on the case, with the next one scheduled for March 7.

Co-defendants in the case, Scott Aloysius Brown, 28, William Gregory Creasy, 24, and Deonte Damonte Prophett, 32, face charges of felony murder and armed robbery for Simko’s death and the theft of approximately 50 pounds of marijuana. Prophett, who detectives believe fired the fatal gunshots, is also charged with using a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The next court date for the three is March 18 for a probable cause conference before 50th District Judge Cynthia Walker.

According to the sheriff’s office, Creasy allegedly had arranged a meeting with Simko at the grow operation in the 1000 block of University Drive in Pontiac with the intention of robbing him and the business. Deputies were dispatched to the business at around 8:15 p.m. on Jan. 13 after Simko’s business partner found Simko had been shot and called 911. Simko was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been shot twice, officials said.

Brown, Creasy and Prophett are held in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond.

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A Springfield Township man accused of shaking his child and nearly killing him is out of jail since a judge changed his $1 million bond to a personal bond – requiring no cash or surety to be posted.

Daniel Gracer, 31, is charged with one count of first-degree child abuse in connection with the near-fatal injuries his then-2-month-old son suffered in December. At Gracer’s arraignment earlier this month, a magistrate set bond at $1 million dollars and Gracer was remanded to the Oakland County Jail. At a court hearing on Tuesday, 52-2 District Judge Kelly Kostin granted Gracer a personal bond and he was released from jail shortly before 6 p.m., records show.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 23, 2024 deputies were called to a home in the 7000 block of Meadow Lane in Springfield Township for a report of an unresponsive baby. Gracer was caring for the boy at the time, the sheriff’s office said.

The baby suffered serious head and brain trauma, and a child abuse specialist who examined the baby determined the injuries were non-accidental, the sheriff’s office said. The brain injury, according to the specialist, was due to rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration, consistent with being shaken, the sheriff’s office said. The trauma was “nearly fatal,” the sheriff’s office said, and the baby is likely to have severely delayed development.

Hospital staff reportedly relayed the findings to the sheriff’s office which launched an investigation.

Gracer’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 14 for a probable cause conference.

A year after teen fatally shot, police chief still urging friends who witnessed it to come forward

It’s been a year since a Ferndale teen was fatally shot in a Southfield hotel room where he’d been hanging out with four friends.

But so far, no arrest has been made —  because all of the witnesses refuse to speak with police about who pulled the trigger that ended the life of 15-year-old Tyler Johnson, said Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren.

The frustration that plagues Tyler’s grief-stricken mother because no one has been held accountable is not only justified, but personally relatable, Barren said: His own brother was murdered in 2007 in Detroit, and the case is still unsolved.

Just like in Tyler’s case, his brother’s friends “failed him,” Barren said, adding, “I can relate to friends not providing information.”

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning at the Southfield police station, Barren said investigators “absolutely” have an idea of which of the four teenage friends shot Tyler, killing him, but until one of them comes forward with the evidence needed, the case can’t progress. All have retained attorneys and aren’t cooperating with police, Barren said.

“We have physical evidence, we have circumstantial evidence…what we need is an eyewitness to bring those things together,” he said.

Barren said “speculation” by the public, including comments made on social media, was a driving force behind the news conference — and reiterated why the case is stalled.

“We need these people — these juveniles who were there, (Tyler’s friends) — to have the courage to give this family justice. It takes courage to stand up,” he said.

Tyler was shot in the head on the morning of Feb. 11, 2024 at the Westin Hotel in Southfield and died from the injury four days later while hospitalized. He was a sophomore at Loyola High School in Detroit.

According to Southfield police, the five teenage friends were in a room rented by an uncle of one of them who left the boys there unsupervised. Police responding to the shooting detained two of the teens as they tried to flee — and one of them was found in possession of two firearms including the gun used to kill Tyler. He was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, which was adjudicated in juvenile court in Wayne County. But investigators have no evidence to directly tie him to the homicide, Barren said.

Cell phone evidence shows “multiple photos of the teens handling the weapon,” Barren said, but no photos of the fatal shooting were found.

Assistant prosecutor Justin Davis said Southfield police, including the chief, are “doing everything they can, exhausting all avenues.”

“At this point, they’ve reached a dead end…we need witnesses and we need evidence…to move forward with this case,” Davis said.

Barren said the five boys were close friends “who spent a lot of time together,” and their families also “associated as friends.”

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A 28-year-old man has been charged with second-degree homicide in connection with a fatal shooting of a male sex worker Sunday in Southfield who was a member of the transgender community, police said.

Robert Ridges is accused of slaying Jamal Broom, who was found dead outside the Riverstone Apartments in the 25000 block of Shiawassee Road. Officers responding to a report of an unresponsive female lying facedown in the snow were dispatched to the apartment complex at around 10:15 a.m., police said.

Broom, dressed in women’s clothing, had been shot once in the head. A spent 9mm shell casing was found in the snow along with Broom’s Ohio driver’s license, police said. Broom’s vehicle was also located nearby, police said.

According to the Southfield Police Department, investigators determined that prior to the shooting Ridges had made approximately 33 calls to sex workers that morning — including Broom — and mostly all those sought by Ridges were heavy-set black women or men who were trangendered females.

Broom and Ridges spoke on the phone several times that morning including a Facetime conversation, police said, with the last call made at 10 a.m.. Footage from surveillance video showed Broom entering the Riverstone Apartments at that time, police said.

The department’s Tactical Crime Suppression Unit, along with the FBI’s Oakland County Gang and Violence Task Force, tracked Ridges to the MGM Casino in Detroit where he was arrested.

According to police, during interviews with detectives Ridges admitted several times that he had acted alone and tried to explain what led to the shooting — and claimed that he didn’t know Broom was transgendered.

Broom had multiple sexual advertisements, police said.

A search of Ridges’ home turned up a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun from his bedroom, and tests revealed it was the same weapon used to kill Broom, police said. The handgun was reported stolen out of Georgia in July 2023.

Ridges was arraigned Wednesday in 46th District Court on the second-degree homicide charge as well as weapons-related crimes. Bond was denied.

Ridges’ next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 12.

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