Ohio deputies sue Afroman for using their likeness in music videos. Rapper responds

Members of the Adams County Sheriff's Office are suing Afroman after the rapper used their images in music videos and merchandise.

Deputies Shawn Cooley, Justin Cooley, Shawn Grooms and Lisa Phillips, Sgts. Michael Estep and Randolph Walters Jr. and detective Sgt. Brian Newland are listed in the lawsuit, which was filed in Adams County on March 13. The deputies are suing Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, his company Hungry Hustler Records; Media Access, Inc., a Texas-based record company, and three unidentified businesses.

Armed deputies raided the "Because I Got High" rapper's Winchester, Adams County, home in August on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping, according to a search warrant obtained by Enquirer media partner Fox 19. No charges were filed.

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Adams Count lawsuit against... by CincinnatiEnquirer

Afroman was not home during the raid, the suit states, but his wife was, and she recorded footage of the deputies on her phone. Security cameras in the couple's home also captured footage of the raid.

The rapper later used this footage to produce multiple music videos, including "Lemon Pound Cake" and "Will You Help Me Repair My Door," which poked fun at deputies.

The suit accuses Afroman of using the deputies' likeness without their permission and profiting off their images with music videos and merchandise. One example refers to a T-shirt Afroman promoted on Instagram, which features one of the deputies involved in the raid.

The suit claims the deputies suffered embarrassment and death threats as a result, and are entitled to compensation.

The filing identifies one count of unauthorized use of the deputies' likeness and three counts of invading their privacy. The deputies are seeking profits Afroman made from using their images. The suit also seeks an order prohibiting the rapper from continuing to profit off their images with videos and merchandise.

The Enquirer reached out to the deputies' attorney for further clarification about the suit and what the deputies are seeking, but did not hear back.

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Afroman responded to the lawsuit on social media

Afroman reacted to the suit on Instagram and has continued promoting the videos and merchandise on social media, as recently as this week.

"I use my footage of my property to raise money to pay for the damages they done and to identify the criminals operating inside of the sheriff department that stole my money, (ransack) my house and disconnected my video cameras," he posted.

The lawsuit follows an investigation into how much money deputies seized from Afroman's home. Deputies said they seized $5,031 in cash from the artist's home during the August raid, believing it was connected to drug trafficking. When no charges were filed, the money, minus $400, was returned to Afroman.

The 2024 presidential candidate accused deputies of stealing his missing cash on social media. However, investigators with the Clermont County Sheriff's Office said Adams County deputies miscounted the money they had seized and the correct amount was actually returned.

This story will be updated as The Enquirer receives more information.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Afroman responds to Ohio deputies suing him over music videos