There are few things more disappointing to fans of a media franchise than discovering its artists' involvement in crime. Now, information about criminal history has come to light regarding Austin St. John, who starred as the Red Ranger in the first-ever American series of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, has been charged with wire fraud by the Department of Justice. St. John allegedly participated in a plan to "defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)," and if indicted, he could face up to twenty years in prison.
Austin St. John starred in the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers series, which debuted in 1993 and ran for three seasons. He starred as a ranger alongside co-stars Amy Jo Johnson, Walter Emanuel Jones, Thuy Trang, David Yost, and Jason David Frank. Since the original iteration of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, more seasons and iterations have been introduced to kids of all ages over the course of three decades, with the Power Rangers franchise continuing to receive spin-offs such as film and video game adaptations.
St. John is among a handful of co-conspirators involved in the alleged scheme, where the accused parties either created or used an existing business "to submit applications to obtain PPP funding." The accused parties also allegedly misrepresented important documentation as well as the nature of their business. The Department of Justice alleges that the accused "fraudulently obtained at least sixteen loans and at least $3.5 Million dollars."
Austin St. John isn't the only actor caught in legal troubles. The ongoing defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues to unfurl, with Amber Heard facing perjury charges for a false claim about donating to charity. The film, television, and streaming industries also continue to make tough decisions involving the bad behavior of big-name artists; for example, Warner Bros. has undoubtedly considered the implications of working with J.K. Rowling, a figure mired in controversy after infamous tweets, though Warner Bros. still plans to work with Rowling.
Luckily for fans of Power Rangers, the charge set against Austin St. John seems to bear little to no negative impact on Power Rangers as an entertainment franchise. The franchise's legacy has no shortage of other iterations of the red ranger (let alone the hundreds of other rangers), and the series as a whole has progressed in a way that lessens the need for episodes to rely heavily on nostalgia for older seasons. Nevertheless, with Austin St. John, the original red ranger, facing up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, it's safe to say that it takes more than just superpowers and fighting ability to keep oneself doing right in the world.
Source: Comicbook