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Austin St. John, Original Red Power Ranger, Arrested For COVID Fraud – Hollywood Life

James Olson |
Austin St. JohnView galleryTory Lanez Rolling Stone LIVE: Big Game Experience, Los Angeles, California, USA - 12 Feb 2022ASAP Rocky Costume Institute Benefit celebrating the opening of In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, Arrivals, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA - 13 Sep 2021This is the booking photo of the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas, Irene Bedard, after she was arrested for disorderly conduct. The 55-year-old - best known for voicing the famous character in the 1995 animated movie - had to be separated from another woman by police in Greene County, Ohio, on August 19 after the pair were arguing and screaming. According to a police report, the women “walked out into the street screaming, without any regard for traffic”. Bedard had “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath”, but insisted she had not been drinking that day. She told police she had drunk a bottle of vodka the day before. Bedard said the other woman, Sheila Johnson, had been trying to help her into her “studio”, but she was unable to find her keys. According to the police report, Beard’s “emotions changed rapidly”, going from calm to becoming upset and eventually crying. Police tried to move Bedard away from a large window as they feared she might shatter the glass, but when Johnson offered them a name to call on Bedard’s behalf the actress ran away screaming. She was booked for disorderly conduct and released on August 21. Bedard was arrested twice over a three-day period back in November 2020. *BYLINE: Greene County Sheriff’s Office/Pop Nation/TMX/Mega. 19 Aug 2022 Pictured: The booking photo of the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas, Irene Bedard, after she was arrested for disorderly conduct. *BYLINE: Greene County Sheriff’s Office/Pop Nation/TMX/Mega. Photo credit: GreeneCountySheriff/PopNationTMX / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA889083_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
Image Credit: Richard Shotwell/Shutterstock

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.

Austin St. John
Austin St. John at the ‘Power Rangers’ premiere on March 22, 2017 (Photo: Richard Shotwell/Shutterstock)

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.

Austin St. John
Austin St. John in ‘Power Rangers’ (Photo: Saban Entertainment/Everett Collection)

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.

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