A man has been jailed for fraud after claiming to be associated with Wu-Tang Clan and Roc Nation.

According to WRDW, Florida man Aaron Barnes-Burpo was sentenced to seven years after stealing hospitality services while claiming to be affiliated with the legendary Staten Island group and Jay-Z‘s multi-service agency.

The 29-year-old was sentenced to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also told to pay almost $300,000 to the 19 businesses he defrauded and will serve three years of supervised release after completing his term behind bars.

Walker Washington, Barnes-Burpo’s co-defendant, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is currently awaiting to be sentenced.

The pair admitted they falsely portrayed themselves as affiliates of the Wu-Tang and Roc Nation, taking on the identities since September 2019. Court documents revealed that fraudulent and stolen credit cards were used to defraud hotels, caterers and production studios, with the pair also renting luxury limousines.

Staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta, Georgia unraveled the scam on November 21, 2019 after they became suspicious and alerted the authorities.

“For several weeks, these men defrauded multiple businesses by posing as famous musical artists and their retinue. Thanks to an alert hotel clerk, their phony hit parade came to an abrupt halt,” said acting US attorney for the Southern District of Georgia David H. Estes.

Meanwhile, Wu-Tang Clan have announced their new photobook Wu-Tang Clan: Legacy, which will be strictly limited to 36 copies – each of which will be encased in its very own bronze-encrusted steel chamber.

The pioneering hip-hop group say that their latest project will be the “the biggest and rarest book in the history of hip-hop”.