Atlanta rapper Erica Banks reportedly faces charges after stolen gun found in bag

Atlanta’s hustling rap phenom, Erica Banks, who turned a viral moment into a billboard-charting reality with her 2021 hit “Buss It”, now finds herself facing charges after a stolen gun was discovered in her bag. The 25-year-old artist was reportedly arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

According to police reports (via Fox5 Atlanta), the weapon - a Smith & Wesson, had been flagged as stolen since 2018. The news has raised eyebrows, especially as Banks continues to build her profile in both music and reality TV, thanks to her recent stint on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

“Buss It” rapper Erica Banks is in hot water after airport security discovered a stolen gun in her purse

Erica Banks (legal name Erica Scharmane Breaux) was trying to hop on to a Delta flight from Atlanta to Houston when TSA flagged something off in her Louis Vuitton purse. As the purse rolled through the X‑ray belt, screeners spotted a black‑and‑gray Smith & Wesson. A quick check revealed the firearm had been reported stolen back in 2018 from Greenville, South Carolina.

Booking records show she was processed at the Clayton County Jail just before 10 p.m., then released roughly 80 minutes later. Her official charge is “Theft by receiving stolen property”. Banks’s legal team (or, as TMZ might say, “the Fly Lawyer,” formerly known as Jackie Patterson) was quick to chime in. According to a spokesperson,

“It is our contention that when she was caught with this weapon, she had no idea it was stolen. So she is not guilty of any offense.”

The plan, clearly, is to ensure that this episode stays off her rap résumé and disappears by court time. In her own brief remarks to authorities, including (apparently) the TSA screener, Banks insisted she had no clue the gun was in her bag. She claimed the weapon belonged to her “security,” though she didn’t name names. 

Now, why does this matter beyond the tabloid buzz? Well, she’s no one-hit wonder. Banks’ “Buss It” lit up the Billboard Top Triller charts and spawned the kind of viral dance craze that even TikTok ancients cite in their nostalgia playlists. Since then, she’s joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and in late 2024 signed a joint‑venture deal with Arista Records. She’s building a brand, and a legal hiccup like this could be a step in the wrong direction.