A content creator is facing up to 20 years in prison for pulling pranks for TikTok views.
21-year-old Heston Cobb, better known on social media as Heston James, has become yet another case showing how far people are willing to go in order to go viral.
Cobb was arrested after being identified as the perpetrator of several TikTok pranks that consisted of storming different businesses accompanied by a large crowd of people in costume, posing as employees of the establishments, pretending to perform tasks at the premises, and then fleeing in a van.
The intruders, led by Cobb, entered employee-only restricted areas and took items from the establishments to pretend to do the work. Fast food restaurants, retail stores, and auto repair shops were their main targets.
However, the prank, whose main purpose was to generate views for his TikTok account, would cross every line by stealing tools from the shops and provoking physical altercations with the establishment’s workers.
Cobb had managed to evade justice, but one of the workers at one of the businesses recognized his modus operandi and quickly informed the police about Cobb’s profile, launching an investigation that ended, to the TikToker’s surprise, with a raid on his home and his arrest.
While searching the property, agents found uniforms from a large number of companies Cobb planned to invade, as well as a personal diary in which he swore that his motivation was to generate wealth for his family.
Cobb faces charges on several counts, including third-degree theft, criminal impersonation, disorderly conduct, and trespassing. According to Arizona State law, where he was arrested and charged, the theoretical total of his potential sentences could reach up to 20 years and 5 months in prison. His trial is scheduled for July 2026.