FBI raids YouTube star Jake Paul's California home
A federal search warrant was executed at the home of Jake Paul in Calabasas, CA. The operation was carried out at the popular YouTube celebrity’s residence in connection with an ongoing investigation, the FBI said.
Details regarding the Wednesday morning FBI raid of YouTube star Jake Paul's Calabasas home have surfaced.
When news of the raid broke, the reason behind it was unclear, but a spokesperson for the FBI in Phoenix has confirmed that the raid was in connection with their investigation into the "criminal acts surrounding the incident at Scottsdale Fashion Square in May 2020," of which Paul, 23, is allegedly part.
A SWAT team was used during the raid but no arrests have been made.
"The FBI is investigating allegations of criminal acts surrounding the incident at Scottsdale Fashion Square in May 2020," the spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday. "This morning the FBI executed federal search warrants in California and Las Vegas, Nevada in connection with this investigation. The search warrant affidavits are sealed and we are, therefore, prohibited from commenting further."
Paul's attorney Richard Schonfeld confirmed the home was his.
“We understand that a search warrant was executed at Jake’s Calabasas home this morning while Jake was out-of-state,” Schonfeld said in an email. “We are still gathering information and will cooperate with the investigation.”
Back in May, Paul was allegedly involved in what local authorities called a "riot" at the Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona, and was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly after he allegedly joined a group of looters at the mall amid a slew of protests throughout the country sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
However, police in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday said they were dismissing charges of criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly there against Paul and two others “so that a federal criminal investigation can be completed,” but that they may be refiled later.
Jake Paul (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
At the time, Paul addressed the incident, tweeting: “To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism. For context, we spent the day doing our part to peacefully protest one of the most horrific injustices our country has ever seen, which led to us being tear-gassed for filming the events and brutality that were unfolding in Arizona.".
“We were gassed and forced to keep moving on foot. We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through; we were strictly documenting, not engaging. I do not condone violence, looting, or breaking the law," he added.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, local news station KABC-TV reported that what appear to be several firearms were seized from Paul's property.
Fox News was able to previously confirm that the raid took place after a federal search warrant from the property was obtained.
Jake Paul is best known for his YouTube channel, which has well over 20 million subscribers. (YouTube)
After the Arizona incident, police offered a statement to Fox News.
"Following the riots and looting that occurred on the evening of May 30th 2020 at Scottsdale Fashion Square mall, the Scottsdale Police Department received hundreds of tips and videos identifying social media influencer, Jake Joseph Paul (23), as a participant in the riot,” they said at the time.
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“Our investigation has revealed that Paul was present after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and the rioters were ordered to leave the area by the police. Paul also unlawfully entered and remained inside of the mall when it was closed. As a result, Paul has been charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly (both misdemeanor charges)," the statement continued.
Reps for the YouTube star did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Fox News' Tyler McCarthy and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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