One of Eminem’s former employees has confessed to illegally leaking over two dozen of the rapper’s unreleased songs.
The man—48-year-old Joseph Strange of Holly, MI—worked at Eminem’s music studio for 14 years. He was charged in the music leak case back in March 2025. On Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, Strange pleaded guilty to criminal infringement of a copyright.
“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,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
“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.”
Eminem’s recording studio staff member, Joseph Strange, leaked more than two dozen songs
Strange worked at Eminem’s studio in Ferndale, Michigan, from 2007 to 2021, approximately. His job responsibilities included setting up and operating computer systems that stored Eminem’s music. This gave Strange tremendous access to password-protected hard drives. The music contained on the hard drives was unfinished and not intended to be shared publicly.
According to a Department of Justice press release, Strange took some of the songs without permission and sold them.
“At some point Strange—without authority—copied 10 or more audio files of music and material in various stages of development from one or more of these drives,” the DOJ stated. “Between July and August of 2024, Strange sold and transmitted ten or more of these music files to purchasers via the internet for a total of approximately $50,000. Strange did so without Mathers’s knowledge or authorization.”
The tracks that Strange stole eventually landed on streaming services without Eminem’s knowledge. Data provided by multiple platforms indicated that they had been accessed over 8 million times. The infringement amount reportedly totaled roughly $750,000.
Previously, a rep for Eminem said the situation did “significant damage” to the “Real Slim Shady” rapper’s legacy and integrity.
Joseph Strange is reportedly “remorseful” for the role he played in leaking Eminem’s music.
Following the guilty plea, Strange’s attorney told PEOPLE that his client has “tremendous remorse” over the situation. However, he noted that it is a “far more complicated and nuanced matter than a man just unabashedly stealing.”
“Joe Strange is a good man whose children have suffered greatly in all of this. The hyperbolic commentary from the Justice Department and others has not only subjected my client’s family to the anonymous mob, but the words also bear little resemblance to the facts of the case,” Strange’s lawyer continued.
“It is a far more complicated and nuanced matter than a man just unabashedly stealing. Nevertheless, my client has taken accountability for what he has done, has tremendous remorse for what has happened to his family, and has great faith, as do I, in the judges of our district to see this case for what it is,” the attorney added.
Strange is set to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2027. He faces a maximum of five years in prison.
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