Who is 'Leek Obama'? All about Colombian rapper Malik Jahlil Bell, sentenced to 9 years in federal prison following a money laundering sentence

The Colombian rapper, Malik Jahlil Bell, who is also known as Leek Obama, was sentenced to 108 months or nine years in federal prison on Friday, July 18, 2025, for bank fraud, money laundering, and possession of a firearm, as reported by News 19.

Leek Obama had led a sophisticated ATM fraud ring, dubbed ''Swiperz Only,'' that abused bank refunds, and the group also publicly celebrated the crime by posting pictures and videos featuring stacks of cash, jewelry, and firearms online.

The rapper was not the only individual involved in the crime; he led a branded fraud syndicate operating under the name Swiperz Only.

More about the rapper Malik Jahlil Bell

Rapper Malik Jahlil Bell, who also goes by the name Leek Obama, has a music career that is not well known; however, the rapper has a YouTube channel with music videos posted.

Some of the music videos posted on the channel go by the titles Swiper Summer, Spilled Milk, Tired Out, and Still Tippin. His music videos showcase a flashy lifestyle, as he appears surrounded by stacks of cash, luxury vehicles, and upscale neighborhoods.

On Friday, United States District Court Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced him to nine years in prison. As per the press release by the DOJ, Leek Obama was the leader of a group that called themselves ''Swiperz Only.'' Bell and his co-defendants took advantage of a bank's customer service policy, also known as the provisional credits.

For context, when an individual reports fraud, the bank gives them temporary provisional credit during the investigation. Bell and his group abused this system by reporting fake fraud incidents, withdrawing the provisional credit immediately from ATMs. When the banks would later reverse the credits, it caused negative balances. That's how they cashed out fake refunds multiple times before banks could catch up.

According to Wach, the group flaunted the criminal activity on their social media. They posted videos and pictures featuring stacks of cash, jewelry, and firearms. Reports also suggest that Bell posted music videos promoting the ''Swiperz Only'' scheme.

Leek Obama and his co-conspirators lived together in a large home decorated with logos for ''Swiperz Only,'' and they purchased diamond-studded medallions featuring the Swiperz Only logo, which is a stylized image of a person standing in front of an ATM, holding a duffel bag overflowing with cash.

The logo served as their visual signature, and they displayed it in their shared house, wore it as jewelry, and also printed it on their clothing to promote the fraud ring.

Other than the sentence, the court also ordered him to repay $238,652.87 to the bank he defrauded as part of his sentence.

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