Heston Cobb, known as Heston James to his 1.6 million TikTok followers, has been arrested and faces up to 9 years and 8 months in jail after a months-long spree of disruptive viral pranks across Arizona.
The 21-year-old was taken into custody on July 23, 2025, after police linked him to multiple incidents where he impersonated employees at businesses including Pep Boys, Chipotle, and Jiffy Lube.
According to authorities, Cobb and his crew would dress as staff members and storm employee-only areas while filming for content. One viral video showed Cobb posing as a mechanic at Hyland Auto Repair while others crawled under customer vehicles. Another prank involved a fake cleaning crew taking over a Chipotle location, triggering a 911 call from employees.
Tempe Police say Cobb's actions go beyond humor. “These videos are definitely not pranks,” said Officer Jessica Ells. “They’re breaking laws—this is criminal impersonation and trespassing.”
🚨 Pranks have consequences.
— Tempe Police Department (@TempePolice) July 25, 2025
Tempe PD arrested influencer Heston Cobb after viral videos showed him impersonating employees and disrupting Tempe businesses.
He now faces charges including burglary, impersonation, and trespassing.
Read more: https://t.co/YHnnYr8LPH pic.twitter.com/qRSofAdq9o
Cobb now faces 13 charges, including felony burglary in the third degree, two felony counts of criminal impersonation, and 10 misdemeanors. These charges carry a potential sentence of nearly a decade behind bars and fines exceeding $315,000.
Investigators allege the stunts generated massive viewership and revenue on TikTok and Instagram. However, prosecutors are considering harsher penalties due to the repeated, monetized nature of the offenses.
The case is still under investigation, with police working to identify other individuals featured in Cobb’s viral prank videos.
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