Investigators say deputies miscounted, Afroman not missing money from raid

Adams County sheriff’s deputies miscounted money seized from rapper Afroman's home last year, investigators have concluded.

Deputies said they seized $5,031 in cash from Afroman's Winchester, Adams County, home during an August raid because they believed it was connected to drug trafficking. No charges were filed against the "Because I Got High" rapper, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, and that money was returned to him in late November, minus $400.

At the time, Adams County Sheriff Kimmy Rogers told The Enquirer the missing cash was "rare, and all kinds of things can happen."

Rogers referred the issue to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. However, the agency declined to oversee a probe because of a conflict of interest, BCI press secretary Steve Irwin told The Enquirer. Instead, the investigation was handled by the Clermont County Sheriff's Office, according to an investigative report acquired by Enquirer media partner Fox 19.

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The investigation, led by detective Mike Robinson, found that Adams County sheriff's deputies miscounted the money seized from Afroman's home and that the correct amount was actually returned to him.

According to the audit, cash seized in the raid was placed in two evidence bags. The deputies' money count was recorded by body cameras and Robinson's report said he saw "what appeared to be a miscount of the monies." When the cameras didn't have a clear view of the cash, the detective relied on the video's audio, the report said.

Robinson concluded that the first bag, which had been recorded as containing $4,390, actually only contained $4,000.

As for the remaining missing $10, a miscount of the second bag of cash could not be determined based on bodycam footage. However, since a miscount had already happened with the first bag, Robinson said he believes a miscount happened with the second bag, too. The report also said Afroman's lawyer miscounted the money when it was being returned to him.

The audit also found that seven of the 66 evidence bags containing cash held by the Adams County Sheriff's Office had been miscounted. However, the largest discrepancy was just $5.

On Instagram, Afroman accused deputies of stealing the $400. He also reiterated that he's running for president in 2024, to "stop criminals operating in law-enforcement like the ones who work at the Adams county sheriffs department."

The "Colt 45" rapper previously said he intends to sue the department. Sheriff Rogers did not respond to The Enquirer's request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Afroman not missing money from Ohio home raid, investigators say