Burnic Vidal Ratliff, 32, the brother of Southern Soul performer Raphael “Money Train” Ratliff, was taken into custody Monday in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on three felony counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to Wadesboro police. Investigators say the charges stem from alleged conduct in 2021 and that a recent case review uncovered that a True Bill of Indictment had not previously been entered for extradition. Rock Hill officers arrested Ratliff while North Carolina authorities work to bring him back to face the indictments.
Wadesboro police: review led to extradition
Wadesboro Police Chief Michael Childers wrote that his department "identified that a subject with a felony indictment had not been properly entered for extradition" and then moved to correct that and coordinate with Rock Hill police, according to The NC Beat. The outlet reports Ratliff will be formally served with a True Bill of Indictment on three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child once he is transported back to North Carolina.
Artist camp responds and video pulled
Ratliff’s brother is better known on the Southern Soul circuit as Money Train, and the arrest rippled quickly into his music career. The singer’s manager posted that Raphael would “fully distance himself” if the allegations are proven, while also saying he was standing by his brother “until everything plays out in court,” according to the reporting. The NC Beat also reports that the brothers’ new music video for “Real Man” was pulled from streaming platforms after the arrest. Raphael continues to perform as Money Train and has an active artist page on Spotify.
What the charges mean under North Carolina law
Under North Carolina law, “taking indecent liberties with children” is defined in G.S. 14-202.1 and is treated as a felony offense. The statute classifies the crime as a Class F felony and generally covers situations in which a person 16 or older, who is at least five years older than the child, willfully takes or attempts to take indecent liberties with a child under 16, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
What we could verify
At the time of publication, independent coverage beyond the initial local report and the Wadesboro police Facebook post embedded above was limited. We found an online inmate listing that shows a Burnic Vidal Ratliff in custody at the York County, South Carolina, detention center, although such aggregator sites are not official court records and should be read with caution; see the profile on InmateAid.
Wadesboro and Rock Hill police are the agencies cited in the early reporting. When we checked, formal court documents and mainstream regional outlets had not yet posted independent confirmation. This story will be updated if official records or further statements from authorities become available.
