D.C. rapper accused of passing fake $50 bills

WASHINGTON — A D.C. rapper is in trouble after he was accused of trying to pass counterfeit bills at Maryland Live Casino.

The rapper is Fat Trel, whose gritty songs reference the District’s rougher side.

Anne Arundel County Police were called to the casino Sunday evening, where Trel — real name Martrel Reeves — tried to exchange nine $50 bills for gambling chips.

The pit boss became suspicious. Casino security checked the bills in a scanner, and using a counterfeit marker detector, the nine bills were found to be counterfeit.

Police say eight of the nine bills had the same serial number.

Fat Trel, who gained famed by performing on the campuses of Howard, Georgetown and other area universities, says he’s innocent.

The 25-year-old says he got the bills from an ATM at a D.C. 7-Eleven.

The rapper has been charged with possession of counterfeit currency. Trel is signed with Maybach Music Group and Atlantic Records.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

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