Rapper Arrested for Fleeing Authorities in $5 Million Fraud Case

Detroit-based rapper Sameerah “Crème” Marrell is behind bars. Marrel, one-half of the duo Deuces Wild, was arrested on a bench warrant in Memphis, Tennessee earlier in December after she missed her Oct. 25 court date to plead guilty in a $5 million tax fraud case, Fox 2 Detroit confirmed.

The rapper’s latest arrest stems from her initial arrest last year alongside groupmate Noelle “Nikki Brown” Brown, for their alleged participation in an elaborate tax scheme in which they reportedly claimed withholdings and refunds of more than $13.6 million from 2013 to 2017. According to authorities, the two rappers used loopholes, created businesses, filed 122 returns, and opened at least 29 bank accounts. In July 2021, they were charged with aggravated identity theft, false claims, and conspiracy in connection to the case.

The duo initially came under investigation after the IRS’ Scheme Development Center discovered multiple false and fraudulent tax returns for estates and trusts set up under businesses filed between 2013 and 2017. Tyler Goodnight, the special agent investigating the case, revealed that Marrell and Brown “were involved in schemes to file tax returns for trusts using other people’s identities without their consent and would get other people involved and then have those people pay the women from the refunds issued.”

Throughout the scheme, Marrell and Brown allegedly filed 122 tax returns, 106 of which were filed as paper returns. Of those, 69 were filed in their home state of Michigan and 13 in Georgia, according to Fox 2, which reported that 20 of the trust tax refund checks issued from those paper returns went into accounts opened by Marrell, totaling $1.3 million over the course of three years. The rapper was caught on camera depositing two $60,000 checks issued to Lucid Communications and Clean Sweep Properties and reportedly deposited a second check made out to Lucid Communications in the amount of $57,000 and a $31,000 check paid to For Weaves Only Distributors Trust. In total, Brown was linked to at least 10 fraudulent tax returns totaling more than $2 million.

Amid the case, Brown agreed to plead guilty to the charges against her. However, she failed to appear for her Oct. 25 court date, prompting a warrant to be issued for her arrest. She was taken into custody this month in Tennessee. Her attorney, Steven Fishman, has since requested to withdraw from the case, writing, “Based on the above, it is clear the defense counsel that the attorney client relationship between him and Ms. Marrell has entirely broken down and cannot be repaired.” Marrell had been facing a 10-year prison sentence prior to her failed court appearance.