G Herbo Co-Defendant Steven Hayes Jr. Avoids Prison With Probation Sentence

Steven Hayes Jr., a 34-year-old co-defendant in the federal luxury spending fraud case tied to Chicago rapper G Herbo, has avoided prison time after being sentenced to probation, according to reporting by AllHipHop. On October 8, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni handed down a sentence of three years’ probation in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Department of Justice formally announced the sentencing on October 14, ending the final legal proceedings among the six men charged in the multi-year federal conspiracy case.

According to federal statements released by the Department of Justice and reported by AllHipHop, prosecutors had requested a prison term between four and six months for Hayes. Court records indicate that Hayes was held responsible for $44,814 in victim losses resulting from the scheme. Judge Mastroianni ordered Hayes to pay $2,728 in restitution and forfeit an identical amount. The sentencing follows a complex trial process for Hayes. The case initially went to trial in February, but proceedings ended with a hung jury when jurors failed to reach a consensus verdict.

Following the trial, Hayes entered a guilty plea in May to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Federal prosecutors initially charged six individuals in 2020 in connection with an elaborate scheme using stolen credit card information. According to reporting from AllHipHop, the group used illicit account details belonging to real individuals to purchase luxury items and services. These included private jet charters, a rental villa in New York City, designer puppies from a pet boutique, and vehicle insurance policies.

When cardholders identified unauthorized charges, card issuers reversed the transactions, causing financial losses to the service providers and businesses involved. Rapper G Herbo, whose legal name is Herbert Wright III, was previously sentenced on January 11, 2024, to probation after pleading guilty in July 2023 to wire fraud conspiracy and lying to a federal agent, according to court details reported by AllHipHop. As part of his plea arrangement, prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated identity theft.

The court ordered G Herbo to pay $139,968 in combined restitution and forfeiture, along with a $5,500 fine, after his defense team highlighted his community involvement and personal development. Prosecutors asserted that G Herbo utilized fraud proceeds for career promotion, including shared media depicting private jet travel, luxury vehicles, and a Jamaican villa stay. According to AllHipHop's reporting, legal promoter Antonio Strong was identified as a central figure in the scheme, using aliases and claiming false affiliations with major music entities such as Sony and Universal.

Strong pleaded guilty in May 2024 and received a sentence of nearly three years in prison that October. Three other co-defendants—Joseph Williams, Demario Sorrells, and celebrity barber Terrence Bender—were previously sentenced to probation. With Hayes' sentencing complete, all five co-defendants charged alongside G Herbo have resolved their federal criminal cases.