Source: Bobby Bank / Getty
Not even Zordon and a power coin will be able to help Austin St. John, the original Red Power Ranger, get out of this mess.
TMZ reports Austin St. John, who got his fame starring in the insanely popular 1990’s kids show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ home was raided, leading to his arrest by the FBI as part of a massive federal criminal case.
Per TMZ:
One of St. John’s neighbors tells TMZ … approximately 15 FBI agents in tactical gear rolled up to St. John’s home Thursday at 7 AM in Tahoe Suburbans in an upscale neighborhood in McKinney, Texas … brandishing what looked like AR-15s as they approached his porch.
They entered the home, and when they came out, they had a plus 1 — St. John in handcuffs.
Allegedly, St. John was one of the 18 people charged with fraud and was part of a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The program aimed to help small business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Trump administration’s lack of oversight led to it being greatly abused.
St.John allegedly got 16 loans, totaling $3.5 million, which he used to make personal purchases. The FBI claims that even if he used the loans for their intended purposes, he still would be in trouble because the loans were obtained by St.John fraudulently.
If he is convicted, he is looking at a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The actor did release a statement on the matter via his Instagram account.
Austin St. John is a father, husband, role model and friend to many. The indictment detailed today is populated by a multitude of individuals – the majority of which Austin has no knowledge of, and has never met or interacted with. It is our understanding that Austin put his faith, reputation, and finances in the hands of third parties whose goals were self-centered and ultimately manipulated and betrayed his trust. We expect Austin’s legal team to successfully defend against these charges and lead to his ultimate exoneration. We ask that you respect the privacy of Austin’s family in light of this serious situation, and thank you for your support.
St.John is not the only Red Power Ranger caught in some legal mess. Ricardo Medina Jr., who starred in Power Rangers Wild Force, was convicted of manslaughter in 2017 after stabbing his roommate with a sword.
Photo: Bobby Bank / Getty
Aye Yi Yi Yi Zordon, Austin St. John, The Original Red Power Ranger Arrested For PPP Fraud was originally published on cassiuslife.com
