Dancehall producer Papi Don Musiq was arrested for allegedly scamming 18 senior citizens out of $300,000.
Papi Don Musiq, whose real name is Donte Johnson, was taken into custody in South Florida on Wednesday after police accused the beatmaker of running an elaborate scam to defraud senior citizens. Urban Islandz obtained his arrest records and his mugshot. The victims uncovered so far include 18 seniors in the Sarasota and Broward counties area. He was charged with Bank Fraud, Grand Theft of a Firearm, and Criminal Use of Personal Identification.
According to law enforcement, the victims believed that they were paying taxes for massive winnings from Publishers Clearing House. Johnson reportedly had one 88-year-old unsuspecting victim deposited $63,000 into two separate bank accounts. Broward County police launched an investigation when the victim’s family filed a police report in October last year.
During their video surveillance, police quickly identified the mastermind as 25-year-old Donte Johnson of a Plantation address, who used the victim’s identification to withdraw funds.
Police have been quietly investing Johnson since then and have since uncovered 18 victims of his elaborate scheme using Publishers Clearing House. Police from the Plantation Police Department, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Sarasota deputies executed a search warrant for his home on March 3 and took him into custody.
Investigators found $17,000 cash in his home and a stolen firearm. Detectives also seized incriminating documents and several electronic devices believes to be a part of the scam. According to law enforcement, they believed he scammed 18 victims out of a total of $300,000.
Papi Don is currently out on bond, but law enforcement says more charges are pending as they ramp up their investigation. They also believed more victims might have fallen prey to the scheme.
Publishers Clearing House posted a statement on its website warning unsuspecting victims of scams. They made it clear that the company never charges any fees, taxes, or upfront payments to claim winning prizes.
