‘Power Rangers’ Star Austin St. John Arrested for Wire Fraud Related to COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program

Abbey White
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Austin St. John, who is best known for playing the Red Ranger in several Power Ranger franchise installments, was among those charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Tuesday in a federal indictment related to the federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program.

The 47-year-old actor, also known as Jason Lawrence Geiger, was among the 18 defendants who were either arrested on suspicion of conspiracy or summoned to appear before a federal magistrate judge for the charges, according to the Department of Justice. If convicted, St. John could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

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Per the indictment, the group of defendants is alleged to have fraudulently obtained at least 16 loans and at least $3.5 million through a plan led by two men — Michael Hill and Andrew Moran — to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration’s PPP effort.

Hill was allegedly responsible for recruiting co-conspirators, who used an existing business or created a business to submit applications and obtain PPP funding. Moran allegedly assisted co-conspirators with the application paperwork — both in fabricating supporting documentation and submitting their application through the federal assistance program’s online portals.

The DOJ announcement states that the defendants allegedly misrepresented information about the “true nature” of their business on the applications, as well as the number of people the business employed and the amount of payroll. Loans were then approved and dispersed by the SBA and other financial institutions based on “these material misrepresentations.”

Instead of putting money toward employee salaries, utility payments or health care benefits, St. John and 17 others are accused of in some instances paying Hill and Moran, who transferred the money to personal accounts before spending it on personal purchases. Others allegedly sent their fraudulently obtained funds to a third individual, Jonathon Spencer, so that it could be invested in foreign exchange markets.

The case is currently being investigated by the FBI and IRS – Criminal Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Texas prosecuting.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to a rep for St. John for comment.

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