Columbia, South Carolina rapper Zachary Chapman, known as Blacc Zacc, is facing a federal indictment in the District of South Carolina that charges him with running a violent racketeering enterprise, ordering a 2021 murder-for-hire, and directing an interstate marijuana trafficking operation. The Blacc Zacc federal indictment, returned by a grand jury in October 2025, names Chapman and five co-defendants and alleges criminal activity from 2020 into early 2026. Chapman, 34, has pleaded not guilty, has been denied bond, and remains in federal custody in Spartanburg. As of mid-2026, the U.S. Justice Department is still weighing whether to pursue the death penalty.
The Charges Against Chapman
The 22-page indictment charges Chapman with nine counts:1WIS-TV. Columbia-Based Rapper Blacc Zacc Arrested on Federal RICO Charges
- RICO conspiracy
- Murder in aid of racketeering
- Attempted murder in aid of racketeering
- Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering
- Use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire
- Causing death through use of a firearm
- Two counts of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence
- Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence
His co-defendants are Dequadry Razor, Elijah Simmons, Maurice Bynum, Javon Hamilton, and Dyron Glover.2PACER Monitor. USA v. Chapman et al., 7:25-cr-01187 Court filings describe the charging document as a “talking indictment,” meaning it contains extensive factual narrative alongside the counts themselves.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
What Prosecutors Say Dirty Money Entertainment Really Was
Chapman’s record label and entertainment company, Dirty Money Entertainment, sits at the center of the government’s theory. Prosecutors describe it not as a music business but as a South Carolina street gang that Chapman founded and led, with authority to assign tasks to members and to require crimes committed on the organization’s behalf.1WIS-TV. Columbia-Based Rapper Blacc Zacc Arrested on Federal RICO Charges
According to the indictment, members identified themselves with the initials “DME” and a logo of a dollar sign topped with a marijuana leaf. Recruits came largely from five Columbia neighborhoods: Arthurtown, Bluff Estates, Eastway Park, Washington Park, and Starlight. The group operated from several houses in Columbia and kept a base in Blythewood.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
The drug allegations describe a specific pipeline. Prosecutors say DME members flew from South Carolina to Los Angeles, bought large quantities of marijuana with cash, and shipped the drugs back through Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, also using airports in North Carolina and Georgia. The indictment lists the enterprise’s goals as making money, defying law enforcement, building DME’s reputation, and retaliating against threats to the group.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
The Murder-for-Hire Allegation
The most serious counts against Chapman flow from the October 21, 2021 killing of Christian Watson, referenced in the indictment as “C.W.” Prosecutors allege Watson stole a diamond-encrusted DME medallion, and that Chapman spent roughly six weeks, from early September through October 21, 2021, arranging to have him killed in retaliation. After multiple failed attempts, Chapman allegedly hired a hitman from the Aiken, South Carolina area.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
Watson was shot in the driver’s seat of his car in an apartment complex parking lot at 1800 Longcreek Drive in the Columbia area, shortly after 10:00 p.m. that night, according to a Richland County Sheriff’s Office report. The FBI investigated in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Leon Lott said he had no objection to federal prosecutors seeking a death sentence.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
Arrest, Custody, and Case Status
U.S. Marshals arrested Chapman on October 28, 2025.4XXL Magazine. Blacc Zacc May Face Death Penalty He appeared before a federal magistrate the same day, pleaded not guilty to every count, and was booked into a federal facility in Spartanburg.1WIS-TV. Columbia-Based Rapper Blacc Zacc Arrested on Federal RICO Charges The government moved on October 31, 2025 to detain all six defendants pending trial.5PACER Monitor. USA v. Sealed, Motion for Detention Chapman was denied bond and has remained in custody.
The case is docketed as 7:25-cr-01187 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. As of April 2026, lead defense attorney Bill Nettles said the defense was “just starting discovery.” No trial date has been set, and the U.S. Attorney’s office has declined to comment publicly.3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
The Death Penalty Question
Federal rules require the appointment of specially qualified “learned counsel” when a defendant may face execution, and the court has appointed two such attorneys for Chapman: Bill Nettles, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina who served from 2010 to 2016 and had represented capital defendants before taking that office, and attorney John Warren.6WIS-TV. U.S. Attorney Leaves Office Before Dylann Roof Trial
The final decision on whether to seek death rests with Justice Department officials in Washington, who consult with the local U.S. Attorney’s office and defense counsel through a confidential process that can take months. The political context is unusual: on January 20, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Attorney General to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.”3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment
The Defense Response
Alongside Nettles and Warren, Chapman has retained private counsel Todd Rutherford, Derek Shoemake, and Justin Holloway. Rutherford has said publicly: “My client maintains his innocence and believes at the end he will be vindicated.”3The State. Blacc Zacc Federal Indictment The case is expected to continue well into 2026 as discovery proceeds and the Justice Department reaches its capital charging decision.