People News

DMX is a moron, allegedly

By Stone Martindale Jul 21, 2008, 16:28 GMT

The never-ending saga of DMX continues, as the rapper was busted in an Arizona mall for faking his identity at a hospital to dodge paying his bill.

The rapper (aka Earl Simmons) was arrested at Phoenix, Arizona's Metrocenter mall on Saturday on suspicion of giving a false name and Social Security number to the Scottsdale, Arizona, Mayo Clinic, where the rapper went for treatment in April.According to the Arizona Republic newspaper, the rapper is facing charges of theft of services and identity theft in what officials said was an attempt to dodge his $7,500 medical bills. After his arrest, DMX was put into isolation for his own safety on Sunday at the Towers Jail, where he is being held on $60,000 bond.

Enter the toughest sheriff in the west: Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio, who noted the fourth arrest of DMX this year in his jurisdiction. "He seems to have a long record and nothing ever happens," Arpaio said. "I am concerned that these judges keep letting him get out. I don't know how many times he has to be booked into jail. He keeps committing all these violations and keeps getting out and continues to violate the law. He has lived a charmed life."In the Mayo Clinic case, officials said the rapper went to the hospital for treatment, stayed nine hours and gave a false name of "Troy Jones," a fake Social Security number, a non-existent address in Yonkers, New York, and false contact information, including the name of a made-up girlfriend, "Jennifer Martinez," and a cell-phone number.The latest arrest began as part of an earlier investigation into animal cruelty that began in August 2007, when DMX was arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges on May 9. Only days before, the rapper was charged with driving more than 100 miles per hour on a Phoenix-area highway. Around the same time he was also cited by sheriff's deputies for reckless driving while riding off-road in an ATV in a local park, a case in which he reportedly failed to pay a fee, provide identification and was driving on a suspended license.After his arrest last month in Miami on charges of attempting to purchase cocaine and marijuana from an undercover officer, DMX was arrested on July 2 at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court and a bond violation.