BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” cast member and “Buss It” rapper Erica Banks spent several hours in DeKalb County Jail Monday night after police discovered ecstasy pills in her purse during a traffic stop involving a stolen 2021 Dodge Charger.
The stop happened just before 11 p.m. on December 8, 2025, on Buford Highway near North Druid Hills Road. A Brookhaven officer pulled the black Charger over for an illegal tinted license-plate cover. When the tag was run through dispatch, the vehicle returned as stolen, immediately escalating the encounter.
The driver was identified as 29-year-old Amani Dirton. Riding in the passenger seat was 33-year-old Erica Scharmane Breaux, better known as Erica Banks, a Dallas native who now calls the Atlanta area home for filming and music projects. Both were ordered out of the car while officers conducted a probable-cause search.
Inside a designer purse belonging to Banks, officers found several individually packaged ecstasy (MDMA) pills. Multiple vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana were recovered from Dirton. According to the arrest report, the way the ecstasy was wrapped indicated “intent to distribute,” leading to the felony charge filed against Banks: V.G.C.S.A. – Possession of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance With Intent to Distribute – Ecstasy.
Banks was handcuffed on scene, transported to DeKalb County Jail (DKSO), and officially booked at 2:59 p.m. on December 8, 2025 (booking #25018694, SO #X2509712). She is listed as a Black female, 5’3″, 150 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes, and her recorded address is in DeSoto, Texas. She posted a $9,500 bond and was released at 12:03 a.m. on December 9, 2025.
The charging document, issued by the Brookhaven Police Department, lists the offense date and arrest date as December 8, 2025. No additional charges related to the stolen vehicle were lodged against Banks, as she was only a passenger.
This marks the rapper’s second arrest in Georgia this year. In August 2025, she was detained at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after TSA found a loaded handgun reported stolen out of Texas in her carry-on. Banks stated the gun belonged to her security guard; that case is still pending.
Banks rose to fame in late 2020 when her single “Buss It” ignited a viral TikTok challenge that has now surpassed one billion views. The success earned her a recording deal, a brand partnership with Beatbox Beverages, and a prominent spot on VH1’s *Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta*, where she is known for bold personality and female-empowerment anthems.
As of Tuesday evening, neither Banks nor her representatives have released a statement. Her social media accounts on Instagram and X (@EricaBanks) remain active with only music promotion, showing no acknowledgment of the arrest.
Under Georgia law, the felony charge carries a possible penalty of 2 to 15 years in prison and fines up to $25,000. However, celebrity cases involving small-to-moderate quantities and no prior drug convictions often end in plea deals, first-offender probation, or conditional discharge.
Banks is required to appear for arraignment in DeKalb County State Court, expected in January 2026. The case is being handled by the DeKalb Solicitor-General’s Office. Public court records can be monitored at dekalbgastatecourt.gov.
Traffic stops involving stolen vehicles and tinted tag covers routinely uncover more serious crimes in metro Atlanta. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation statistics, DeKalb County recorded hundreds of similar felony drug discoveries from traffic enforcement in 2024 alone.
For an artist who built her brand on confidence and control, Monday night’s events serve as a stark reminder that one ride in the wrong car can change everything in an instant. The hip-hop community and reality-TV worlds will be watching closely to see how Erica Banks responds.
