Rapper stole checks and sold the recipe for others to copy him

ATLANTA — A Stone Mountain rapper will spend six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges involving the theft of thousands of checks from the mail.

Shamarri Tache Brooks, 34, pleaded guilty in May to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to his record in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The federal indictment filed against him in December accused him of altering purloined checks to name recruits with their own accounts as the payees.

One check from August 2024 was for more than $655,000. Another the same day was for more than $122,000. Another the next day was for more than $405,000.

In a brazen twist that displayed an instinct for business, Brooks traded on his knowledge by promoting and selling a collection of his financial fraud methods, the indictment said.

As part of his fraud-promotion business, the indictment said, Brooks sold the check images on their own or packaged with check-forgery tutorials in what he called the "Sauce Book," accepting payment on various digital platforms.

He even sold apparel, registering Brooks Merchandise as a limited liability company with the Georgia Secretary of State and marketing balaclava-style masks with bank logos and clothing with the logo "No Free Sauce" or "NFS."

Authorities alleged that he used his own product while working: the indictment said he wore "No Free Sauce" masks when depositing stolen, altered checks at ATMs.

It is unclear how much money Brooks made from the side hustles, but Hertzberg's office said he went unrewarded by the underlying work of check theft.

Brooks and his associates stole checks with a combined face value of more than $6.5 million, but law enforcement recovered many of the checks from Brooks's home, adding that there was no evidence Brooks succeeded in "negotiating" the remainder of the stolen checks.

Hertzberg said Brooks' victims were spared from any known loss. "Thankfully, Brooks's ineptitude matched his boldness," he said.

After prison, Brooks, who also goes by Juney Knotzz, will serve five years of supervised release.

Authorities noted that Brooks already had a criminal history, including convictions for drug trafficking, weapon possession, obstruction of law enforcement and battery.

This case was investigated by the FBI, FDIC Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. The Dunwoody Police Department and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration assisted.

Neither the indictment nor Hertzberg explained how Brooks and his associates were able to obtain so many stolen checks, but authorities warned the public against leaving checks or other mail in mailboxes overnight and to use the letter slot inside a Post Office when sending mail.