From Instagram Rap Star to Prison over a $264K Auto Loan Fraud Empire

The Convicted Rapper Who Hit Rock Bottom and Just Kept Digging

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Somehow, we all kind of know that a lot of these Tik Tok Instagram Stars are all smoke and mirrors. The following is one such about a convicted fraudster who on camera showed off a lot of cash, but off camera, was weaving a web of fraud auto loan purchases and title scrubs costing credit unions and banks over $264K.

Monte Millions: the stage name for Kansas native, Montressa “Monte Millions” Cunningham, projected an image of unbridled success: a sharp-suited entrepreneur cruising in luxury rides, dropping beats as a rising hip-hop artist, and preaching empowerment through viral posts and self-published tomes. But peel back the filters, and the story darkens.

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The Facade

A now-public indictment from the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas (Case No. 5:21-cr-40105-TC, filed December 8, 2021) paints Cunningham, alongside wife Felicia, as architects of a sophisticated auto loan scam spanning December 2018 to February 2020.

Posing as high-rolling Kansas-Georgia residents, the duo targeted dealerships like CarMax and KC Motor Company with applications laced in lies: stolen Social Security numbers, phantom addresses, and doctored pay stubs claiming six-figure gigs at non-existent firms.

“It was all about the optics,” a DOJ source later quipped, echoing how Cunningham’s online bravado mirrored the fraud’s façade, projecting wealth to secure it. The mechanics were chillingly simple yet devastatingly effective, exploiting the rush of indirect auto financing and lax title oversight.

Here’s how it unfolded according to the 13-page indictment.

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The Scheme

The Bait: Forged Applications
From online portals and dealership desks, the Cunninghams submitted seven loan requests for premium used rides like Mercedes, Maserati, Lexus, Land Rovers, and BMWs. Emails zipped via Yahoo servers to California hubs, while false employment details (e.g., inflated monthly incomes and bogus job tenures) sailed through initial checks. Approved loans funneled through FDIC-insured giants, totaling $264,450.91.
The Hook: Lien Erasure
Titles arrived stamped with lender liens, but the Cunninghams played editor; physically scraping off ink to wipe buyer names, addresses, and security interests. Kansas law’s one-lien-per-vehicle rule became their loophole: Re-register in Kansas or Georgia, snag a “clear” title from the DMV, and voila, ghost assets ready for resale.
The Flip: Cashing In
Vehicles hit the market fast: A 2015 Maserati sold for $25,462 cash to Jim Ellis Volkswagen; a 2016 Lexus fetched $20,000 at CarMax. Others pawned as collateral for title loans—$11,560 from Loan Max in Olathe, KS; $7,488 from Loan Smart in Topeka—using more fabrications to claim unencumbered ownership. Net haul: $85,010 in dirty dollars, laundered through sales and short-term advances from outfits like Missouri Title Loans and Check Into Cash.

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The Victims

A hit list of familiar names in auto lending, detailed in Counts 2-8 (bank fraud):

Date	Lender	Loan Amount	Vehicle Acquired
12/3/2018	Intrust Bank (Wichita, KS)	$28,148.95	2013 Mercedes
1/3/2019	Wells Fargo Auto (San Francisco, CA)	$44,963.75	2015 Maserati
1/26/2019	Credit Union of America (Wichita, KS)	$32,395.88	2016 Lexus
5/2/2019	Great Plains Credit Union (Joplin, MO)	$53,917.62	2014 Land Rover
11/30/2019	Mechanics Bank (Richmond, CA)	$28,601.50	2012 BMW
12/13/2019	Ally Financial (Detroit, MI)	$36,169.20	2014 Mercedes
12/17/2019	Ally Financial (Detroit, MI)	$40,254.01	2015 Land Rover

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Damage Done

Total Losses: $264,450.91.

Wire fraud: Counts 9-11- interstate app transmissions to Georgia servers.

Money laundering: (Counts 12-17) covered the flips, with forfeiture eyeing those VINs and full restitution judgments.

Cunningham’s history weaves the man and the myth. By 2021, amid the scheme’s tail end, he was touting degrees (associate through doctorate) in the arts, mentoring creatives, and returning to ministry, framing his Gainesville roots and “unbreakable entrepreneurial spirit” as gospel fuel.

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Conviction and a Wild Twist

Yet the trials caught up: he was convicted in late 2023 on conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and laundering, and drew federal time. Cunningham’s apparent contempt for the proceedings was evidenced by reported late appearances and a complete lack of any form of remorse for his crimes, which he never took responsibility for.

Regardless, for all his crimes, the most the government could sentence him for was 57 months. And they did.

But in a wild twist, while he was awaiting sentencing in April of 2024, a call was made to the Kansas Department for Children and Families. The caller claimed to be an immediate family member of the prosecuting Judge and reported that the Judge had been sexually abusing them.

It didn’t take long for investigators to determine that the call was a fake.

Soon after, they had a suspect and a new indictment was filed. Allegedly, at Cunningham’s direction, his own minor daughter had made the call impersonating the judge’s family member and making the false report.

The apparent scheme was hatched to intimidate the Judge to derail the court proceedings against Cunningham. Instead, it resulted in three new federal charges.

A November 2025 appeals court trimmed two counts, but the core charges stuck.

Today, at 38, Cunningham’s feeds gather dust, his site (montressalavellcunningham.com) frozen in promo mode. The irony? His book on mending shattered mirrors now reads like a fraudster’s confession; every forged stub and erased lien a cracked reflection of the wealth he chased.

A stark reminder to all; like one dimensional Hollywood sets, the internet is a playground of what the producers want you to see. What lies behind the scenes is often nowhere near as glamorous as we are led to believe.

This very image is that of many fraudsters that I have witnessed over the decades. All that glitters is not always gold.

From Instagram Rap Star to Prison over a $264K Auto Loan Fraud Empire – From Instagram Rap Star to Prison over a $264K Auto Loan Fraud Empire – From Instagram Rap Star to Prison over a $264K Auto Loan Fraud Empire

From Instagram Rap Star to Prison over a $264K Auto Loan Fraud Empire – Police – Police – Arrest– Arrest – Credit Union Collections – Credit Union Collectors – Lending – Fraud – Auto Loan –