Rapper Erica Banks Arrested with Stolen Gun at Atlanta Airport

ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta rapper Erica Banks, known for her hit single ‘Buss It,’ was arrested on August 6, 2025, after a gun was discovered in her bag at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Banks, whose legal name is Erica Scharmane Breaux, is facing charges for theft by receiving stolen property.

According to a police report, Banks was stopped at the North Checkpoint when a TSA X-ray machine flagged a black and gray Smith & Wesson handgun inside her Louis Vuitton purse. The firearm was loaded with six rounds and was not secured in a holster.

Police found that the gun had been reported stolen in 2018 from Greenville, South Carolina. During questioning, Banks claimed she did not know the weapon was in her bag and stated that it belonged to her ‘security,’ although she did not provide a name.

After her arrest, Banks was booked into Clayton County Jail at 9:50 p.m. on Wednesday, but she was released about an hour later. The rapper has since hired attorney Jackie Patterson, also known as The Fly Lawyer, who stated that they contend Banks was unaware of the gun’s status and is not guilty of any offenses.

Since her rise to fame in 2021 with ‘Buss It,’ Banks joined the cast of ‘Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta’ in 2023 and recently secured a joint venture with Arista Records in December 2024.