A Holly man who worked for Eminem at his music studio has pleaded guilty to a federal copyright-infringement charge for reproducing and selling the rap star's unreleased music.

Joseph Strange, 48, faces up to five years in prison Jan. 17 when he is sentenced Jan. 27 by U.S. District Judge Brandy McMillion in the federal courthouse in Detroit, according to U.S. Attorneys.

Strange was an employee of Eminem's Mathers Music Studio in Ferndale when he allegedly stole and posted over 25 unreleased songs by the rap superstar on the internet, and sold them to multiple buyers for$ 50,000, FBI officials alleged in the March 2025 criminal complaint. The songs, created by Eminem between 1999 and 2018, were in  various stages of development  and released without the consent of Eminem or the Interscope Capital Labels Group, the FBI said.

 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 U.S. Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.  His conduct undermined both legal and artistic rights. 

 Detroit has always been a city where creativity thrives, and no one has the right to steal or profit from another artist's work without their permission,  said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office.  Today's guilty plea reinforces a simple principle: accountability follows those who compromise the integrity of another person's creative labor. I want to commend the outstanding work of our FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and the entire investigative team, whose persistence and professionalism drove this case forward. We also appreciate the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio throughout the investigation. Protecting intellectual property means protecting the time, talent, and livelihoods behind it, and we will continue to treat these violations with the seriousness they deserve. 

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, is a Warren native and Clinton Township resident. He rose to fame in the 

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