Original Red Power Ranger Austin St. John Arrested For COVID Fraud
Actor Austin St. John, 47, was arrested in an FBI raid due to his alleged involvement in defrauding a government program that gave funds to small businesses struggling in the pandemic.
Austin St. John, who played the original Red Power Ranger in the 1990’s Power Rangers franchise, was arrested on May 19. The actor, 47, was reportedly taken away from his home in McKinney, Texas in handcuffs following an FBI raid. Austin, according to the Department of Justice’s press release, is one of 18 people being charged with wire fraud conspiracy related the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to help struggling small business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. HollywoodLife has reached out to the police and Austin’s rep for comment.
Allegedly, Austin and 15 others applied for small business loans with fake documents and loans that were transferred to the two alleged ringleaders of the scheme, Michael Hill and Andrew Moran. Austin is said to have collected loans worth $400,000 that he used for “personal purchase,” rather than the intended purpose. In total, the entire scheme illegally defrauded the PPP out of 16 loans worth $3.5 million, per TMZ.
“The defendants typically paid Hill and Moran, transferred money to their personal accounts, and spent the funds on various personal purchases,” the DOJ said in the press release. “In other instances, the defendants sent the fraudulently obtained funds to Jonathon Spencer for purported investment in foreign exchange markets.” The defendants, including Austin, each face up to 20 years in federal prison.
![Since DaniLeigh has been arrested for alleged DUI hit and run in Miami Beach. The 28-year-old, who is rapper DaBaby's ex and mother to one of his children, was detained after allegedly hitting a person on a scooter while over the drink-drive limit. She posed for this mugshot after being arrested early Tuesday morning. According to reports, a police report claims several witnesses saw the entertainer speeding and swerving between lanes before striking a person riding a motorized scooter, and dragging the moped for about a block. One bystander reportedly flagged down a nearby police officer, who then initiated a stop. Police described Dani as smelling of alcohol and they conducted field sobriety tests, which she failed, and later took a breathalyzer. Dani was booked on three felony charges - driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, and DUI damage to property. The alleged victim was reportedly sent to hospital with a kidney laceration and a spinal fracture. 30 May 2023 Pictured: DaniLeigh. Photo credit: Miami-Dade Corrections/SL/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA988842_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DaniLeigh-Arrested-Mugshot-MEGA.jpg?fit=192%2C240&resize=192%2C240)
Austin was supposed to attend Des Moines Con on May 21 and 22 in Iowa, but that’s obviously changed. “Due to unforeseen personal obligations, Austin St. John is unable to attend Des Moines Con this weekend,” the event’s booking company announced on Facebook hours after the arrest. “He sends his apologies and love to all those that were looking forward to meeting him. Austin plans to be here to meet all of his fans in 2023.”
Austin played the Red Power Ranger, Jason Lee Scott, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. His costars included Walter Emanuel Jones, David Yost, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, and Thuy Trang, who died in a car accident in 2001.