ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio — Afroman may have won his civil trial against the Adams County Sheriff's Office in March — but now the "Because I Got High" rapper is headed back to civil court with a lawsuit of his own.
Joseph Foreman, known professionally as Afroman, posted to social media Tuesday to announce his lawsuit against former Adams County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Newland.
"HAPPY OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY TO ME," Foreman wrote on Instagram. "... I'm suing the police officer who stole my $400, then has the audacity to sue me for 1,500,000 dollars."
In the lawsuit, which was filed in the Adams County Court of Common Pleas, Foreman alleges that Newland stole $400 from him when his Ohio home was raided by the Adams County Sheriff's Office in 2022.
WATCH: Afroman exclusively shares more behind his decisions to sue in this exclusive interview
Afroman's home surveillance system captured the moments police broke through his gate and forcefully entered his home with their guns drawn while executing a search warrant on Aug. 21, 2022. According to Afroman, the warrant was for drug trafficking and kidnapping, but the rapper never faced any charges.
The artist said the raid caused his home significant damage. He also said the deputies disconnected his surveillance footage and stole some of his money.
"$400 came up missing from what they said they had," Foreman told WCPO in an exclusive interview Thursday. "I'm suing for the attorney fees I had to pay. All of this cost me money, and I shouldn't have to pay out a whole bunch of money because you raided me wrong in the first place."
You can watch the verdict from Afroman's March civil trial below:
The sheriff's office told WCPO that Clermont County did an outside investigation on the raid and found that no money was stolen, just miscounted.
Shortly after deputies raided his home, the rapper released his album "Lemon Pound Cake," telling us he turned to music to cope with the humiliation he felt after the raid.
Just some of the songs included on "Lemon Pound Cake," the album inspired by the raid, include "Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera," "Will You Help Me Repair My Door," "I'm A Have A Good Time," and the title track "Lemon Pound Cake." The rapper used footage from the raid to make music videos that went viral, amassing millions of views.
Those music videos led to the sheriff's office's lawsuit, where several deputies, including Newland, alleged Afroman used their images and likenesses without permission for multiple commercial purposes. The lawsuit also claimed those videos caused "humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation." Those who filed the lawsuit were seeking millions in damages.
When an Adams County jury sided with Foreman in the civil trial in March, Foreman was visibly emotional.
WCPO spoke to Afroman after the verdict.
“I didn’t win," he said. "America won. America still has freedom of speech. It’s still for the people by the people."
In an interview Thursday, Afroman said the fallout from the raid and the officers' allegations cost him more than legal fees — it hurt his career.
"Those allegations made some of my customers postpone and cancel events," he said. "So, by them yelling out false information, they scared away some of my clientele, and I need to be compensated for the clientele they scared away."
Afroman said Newland was the central figure responsible.
"It was his idea to raid my house. He handled the money, so he took it," he said. "He kicked down the door. This whole thing was motivated, inspired, and carried out by Brian Newland."
We asked Foreman what he meant when he said "America won" following the jury verdict in March
"By using my freedom of speech. We the people check the government that was in the wrong this particular time," Foreman said.
For the Grammy-nominated music artist, the new lawsuit is part of a broader conversation about accountability.
"America has to deal with the police," he said. "How many people have gotten robbed by police officers? How much injustice has gone on, you know. And they don't got the platform to talk about it?"
Despite years of legal battles, Foreman said he has no intention of leaving Adams County.
When asked if he would still call Adams County home, Foreman said, "If you beat up all the bullies at your school, would you leave?...No, man. What you going to do? Go to another school and get into it with some more bullies?"
Foreman also said the raid ultimately changed the trajectory of his career — and not in the way officers may have intended.
"The lowest low brings the highest high," he said. "I was rapping and singing. But it was just more interesting after the police raided my house. People really started paying attention."
WATCH: Our full conversation with Afroman after the verdict
