Eminem's former employee pleads guilty to a federal charge for stealing the rapper's songs for $50,000.

On Thursday (Oct. 22), the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern District of Michigan announced that Joseph Strange, a former worker for Eminem, pleaded guilty to criminal infringement of copyright in federal court after reproducing and selling unreleased music created by the Detroit rapper. Prosecutors say Strange allegedly stole unreleased tracks from Em, born Marshall Mathers, and sold them online.

"Joseph Strange abused a position of trust to unlawfully copy and sell unreleased music belonging to Eminem, profiting from works that were not yet authorized for public distribution," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement. "His conduct undermined both legal and artistic rights. The Criminal Division remains committed to protecting intellectual property, holding accountable those who seek to profit from theft of creative content, and working with our law enforcement partners to deter and disrupt these crimes."

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