late 1990s and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Strange was a employee of Mathers from approximately 2007 until 2021 at the studio that Mathers used to create and develop music for sale and distribution, officials said. Strange helped set up and operate a computer system that stored music created by Mathers. Strange had access to password-protected hard drives that contained music in the process of being developed by Mathers and that was not yet meant to be released to the public. At some point Strange without permission copied 10 or more audio files of music and material in various stages of development from one or more of these drives. Strange illicitly sold and transmitted 10 or more of these music files to purchasers via the internet, all done without Mathers's knowledge or authorization in July and August 2024.

Officials said the investigation started after music-studio employees contacted the FBI on or about Jan. 16, 2025, telling agents unreleased Eminem songs were being played on web sites such  reddit, YouTube and leaked.cx,  the complaint said. While no commercial release of the music or material within these files was imminent or even certain, professional efforts had been made to prepare some of the music for possible commercial release, in some cases including studio mastering, officials said. Data provided by several streaming providers evidenced that, as of November 2025, infringing audio files identified by the government had been accessed more than eight million times. The value of the stolen files is estimated to be at least $750,000, officials said.

Financial records indicate payments were made to Strange for the music by three groups of fans via electronic transactions, officials said.

Mike Strange, who was a sound engineer at the studio, told agents he is Joseph Strange's uncle but that they  were raised together and consider themselves brothers,  the complaint says.

Joseph Strange was  heavily involved in Bitcoin,  Mike Strange said, and worked as a delivery driver for a marijuana dispensary after he left the studio, according to the complaint.

Joseph Strange needed the money to fund a surgery he underwent, according to another witness, the complaint said.