Yesterday, the California home of 23-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul was raided by FBI agents. Paul’s mansion in Calabasas was searched under a federal warrant and footage was released of officers removing multiple assault weapons from his residence, including one long gun that was casually placed next to a hot tub.
After the footage was released, the FBI revealed that the raid happened in connection to an incident in May in which Paul may have been involved in the looting of an Arizona mall.
“The FBI is investigating allegations of criminal acts surrounding the incident at Scottsdale Fashion Square in May 2020,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
During Black Lives Matter protests, Paul recorded some of the looting, making some question whether he had participated himself.
NEW: The FBI searches YouTuber Jake Paul’s Calabasas, California home under a federal search warrant pic.twitter.com/nTSmZgX4N4
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) August 5, 2020
Despite the multiple weapons found, there are no reports that Paul or other residents of his home have been arrested.
Jake Paul has been a controversial figure for a number of years. Graining most of his popularity from the now defunct social media platform Vine, Paul made the transition into YouTube where he posted vlogs highlighting his extravagant lifestyle with his multiple roommates. He has been criticized for manipulating his young audience for profit and generally encouraging bad behavior, including hosting large parties during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2017, after Paul’s neighbors complained about the commotion Paul caused while filming his videos (including one instance where he placed a mattress in his pool and set it on fire), a local news channel decided to investigate the YouTuber. In the now infamous incident, Paul was filmed being obnoxious and disrespectful to the reporters.
However, despite Jake Paul’s bad behavior, he is still one of YouTube’s most popular and lucrative creators. Many have pointed out that his privilege as a white male has long shielded him from consequences of behavior that would instantly derail the career of a person of color. Even now, as he goes under investigation by the FBI, he hasn’t been arrested even though multiple weapons were seized from his residence. Of course, Black people have been arrested and killed by the police for much less.
As the FBI continues their investigation into Jake Paul, one can only hope that he finally receives the proper consequences for his actions.
