Rapper Arrested for Allegedly Blowing up ATMs to Fund His Music Videos
The Greek rapper and two others are accused of stealing an estimated 710,000 euros ($770,000) in total.
A Greek rapper has been arrested and is now facing multiple charges after they allegedly used explosives to rob cash machines and finance his music videos. Authorities confirmed Monday that the 28-year-old Greek singer, who was not named, was taken into police custody alongside two other suspects over the weekend following a string of crimes in several parts of Greece.
Police spokeswoman Constantia Dimoglidou alleged the gang was linked to 10 ATM attacks throughout Greece, mostly in isolated locations, per ABC News. Police Brig. Gen. Ioannis Skouras said, "They laundered money by spending exorbitant amounts via the music industry or by gambling at casinos." The three suspects allegedly stole an estimated 710,000 euros ($770,000) in total throughout the crime spree, money they reportedly used to fund music videos.
The suspects were taken into custody over the weekend after police raided a property near Athens and searched several vehicles. During the search, authorities found 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of explosives, an M16 assault rifle, four handguns, and just over 200,000 euros ($217,200) in cash. The suspects face charges of multiple counts of robbery, illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession and use of explosives and vehicle theft. Their identities have not been publicly released.
The arrest marks the latest to hit the rap world. Just last month, aspiring Bentonville, Arkansas rapper Reese Alexander Sullivan was arrested on a charge of first-degree terroristic threatening following an FBI investigation into concerning lyrics in his songs. The FBI analyzed nine of his songs, which were found to contain a variety of threats, including threats of a school shooting, bombing public events, and shooting children, among others threats. Sullivan, 20, told authorities that the songs were written and recorded when he was 17, and that he was "rapping as a humorous fictional character when he made the material."
That arrest came after New Orleans-based rapper Mad Muszik Cali, real name Justin Rene Lewis, was arrested and charged in connection to the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Raesha Heard. The shooting occurred on Oct. 11 as Heard, who was two months pregnant, was carrying in groceries from the trunk of her car. She was shot seven times in front of her 9-year-old son. More than a week later, on Oct. 18, Lewis was taken into police custody and booked into the DeKalb County jail on a charge of malice murder.