Why was Austin St John arrested? 'Power Rangers' star could face up to 20 years in prison
Austin St. John, who is best known for playing the Red Ranger in several ‘Power Ranger’ franchise installments, could face up to 20 years in federal prison after he was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Tuesday, May 17. The 47-year-old actor, whose real name is Jason Lawrence Geiger, was among the 18 defendants who got charged with the fraud.
According to TMZ, one of the actor’s neighbors spilled the details on how he got arrested revealing that approximately 15 FBI agents in tactical gear showed up at the actor’s house in McKinney, Texas on Thursday, May 19. They entered his house and got Austin St. John out with handcuffs. The actor was arrested in a federal indictment related to the federal Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program.
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Why was Austin St John arrested?
Austin St John is reportedly accused of being part of a scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)- a program designed to help small businesses affected by COVID. Two men named Michael Hill and Andrew Moran apparently recruited the others to use an existing business or create a business to submit applications to get PPP funding.
They reportedly misrepresented material information on the applications. According to reports, Austin St. John allegedly got 16 loans, adding up to $3.5 million. He reportedly used it for personal purchases and not for the intended purpose.
‘Austin put his faith, reputation, and finances in the hands of third parties’
A detailed post was shared on Austin St. John’s Instagram account that tried to show the actor in a different light. Trying to prove his innocence, the statement read, “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.”
The statement further read, “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” concluding, “We ask that you respect the privacy of Austin’s family in light of this serious situation, and thank you for your support.”