Rapper Kafani Declares Innocence After Arrest For Loan Scam

BY Erika Marie 3.1K Views
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Kafani Arrested
Kafani was recently arrested on charges that he was the ringleader in a multimillion-dollar scam.

Bay Area rapper Kafani is in some serious trouble with the law. If authorities are to be believed, Kafani was the leader of a multimillion-dollar scam that defrauded at least seven California residents. A report made by The Mercury News states that the 39-year-old has been named as a defendant in a federal case along with three others. They stand accused of operating a "wide-ranging fraudulent loan scam that prosecutors said dates back to 2018."

“In each of the instances being investigated, an unknown subject or subjects stole personal identifying information from the victim, used that information to open a bank account in the victim’s name, and established an email account using the victim’s name,” FBI Special Agent Armando Delgado-Campos stated. “The subjects would then use the victim’s identity to obtain a refinance loan, using the victim’s property as collateral.”

The Mercury News reports that Kafani took to his Instagram to call the allegations "slander" and "bullsh*t." The rapper insinuated that an ex-girlfriend sent "anonymous tips to FBI and send false emails to try and get you investigated.” He told his followers not to believe everything they read in the news. However, investigators claim that much of their evidence came from the rapper himself after his phone was tapped and they allegedly overheard him planning to steal from an old woman.

One victim reportedly has been tracking fraudulent loans being opened in her name for months, while two others saw that a $325K loan was made in their names and they had no idea how or why. Victims' identities were used to purchase bars of gold, "including one gold bar order totaling nearly a $1 million from a victim in Beverly Hills."

Kafani was already on supervised release in connection with a conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction from 2015. Back in 2013, Kafani was shot multiple times while filming a music video in Oakland and paralyzed. He was arrested and released last week after posting $250K bail.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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