Big Freedia has pled guilty to charges of theft of government funds, according to a report in Broadly. At the beginning of this month, the rapper, reality TV star and bounce artist was charged with lying about her income between 2010 and 2014 in order to recieve over $34,000 in low income housing vouchers.
Freedia had defended herself from the accusations, calling them “an oversight” and a result of not knowing how to properly handle her finances after success brought her a “new economic structure” which eliminated her from qualifying for Section 8 benefits.
Government documents show that between 2011 and 2014, Freedia received $695 a month in rent subsidies. During this time, while she was performing as Big Freedia, she claimed her assets to be $250 or lower each year. In order to obtain benefits each year Freedia would send a sworn statement to the federal government Housing Authority of New Orleans declaring that her income was low enough to qualify.
Freedia's maximum sentence is ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine. She will report to sentencing on June 16.
