Sameerah “Creme” Marrell is known for many things, but most of all, for her hustle. A Detroit native and serial entrepreneur, Crème built four successful businesses including a music label born from her career as a rapper. In late 2013, she began submitting false tax returns, claiming major with holdings that resulted in large refund checks.

She kept the scheme hidden for nearly five years, financing a luxurious lifestyle under the radar as “La Jefa.

In October 2018, Crème received a letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office informing her she was under investigation. Still, she continued to live lavishly and quietly resume fraudulent activity even while out on bond after being arrested at her home in Detroit on May 15, 2021.

On October 27, 2022, she was scheduled to appear in federal court to enter a plea but never showed. A bench
warrant was issued, and she was declared a fugitive. Crème was located in Memphis, Tennessee, with her minor son and arrested by U.S. Marshals on December 6, 2022.

She was extradited back to Detroit and entered a guilty plea on January 11, 2023. At her sentencing, the judge acknowledged her strengths but emphasized the need to deter others. She was sentenced to 48 months for wire and mail fraud, plus six months for the bond violation, totaling 54 months at Alderson Federal Prison Camp–where she surrendered on April 6, 2023.