Chicago rapper G Herbo sentenced to three years probation for fraud involving private jets, a Jamaican villa and ‘designer puppies’

CHICAGO — Chicago rapper G Herbo was sentenced Thursday in Massachusetts to three years probation on federal wire fraud charges in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to fund private jets, a Jamaican villa, “designer puppies,” and other exotic services and lied about it to authorities.

G Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture, as well as a $5,500 fine.

The sentence marks a win for his defense team, who had asked for a probationary period after the music artist pleaded guilty in the case. The prosecution requested a sentence of one year and one day in prison, along with 36 months of supervised release.

The sentencing comes more than three years after The Chicago Tribune first reported Wright had been indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

The 28-year-old was again indicted in 2021 for lying about the scheme to federal agents.

Wright grew up in the South Side before his rap career took off. In 2021, he was named on Forbes’ 30 under 30 musicians list.

Wright eventually admitted in his plea to more than $1 million of fraudulent purchases for goods and services — including private chefs, car rentals and the puppies. As part of the plea, prosecutors dismissed two counts of identity theft.

Five others were charged as alleged co-conspirators, including his promoter and manager Antonio “T-Glo” Strong. Wright’s main involvement, the prosecution said, was paying Strong to arrange flights and other accommodations that he knew were bought through stolen credit card information.

Strong has pleaded not guilty. The defense contended that Wright’s contact with him was minimal.

In their sentencing memo, the defense noted that Wright “fully accepts responsibility” in the case. The memo painted his troubled childhood in a Chicago neighborhood plagued by gang violence and dubbed by police as “Terror Town.”

Wright was 9 years old when he first witnessed a murder. A group of men gathered on his street as he was moving with his family to another apartment, the filing said.

The group’s conversation became heated before someone approached and shot one of the men, according to the document. Wright still went to school the next morning, his defense said.

By the time he was 17, Wright had lost 17 friends and family members to gun violence. He later developed post-traumatic stress disorder, and turned to substance abuse in his teens.

“Wright feared for his life, and the lives of those he loved, everyday,” the defense said.

Along with his painful childhood, the defense stressed Wright’s commitment to his community and family to justify a lesser sentence.

The father of three has established a nonprofit, Swervin’ Through Stress, to provide mental health resources to young people of color in Chicago. Wright is also willing to receive substance abuse treatment, the defense said.

Initially, Wright had denied the charges against him — even mocking the investigation in a song he released in 2020. “Ask about me, I ain’t never been a fraud,” he rapped.

Wright also was hit with gun charges after he and three others were stopped by Chicago police, who allegedly found four firearms in the vehicle.

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