SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Celebrity YouTuber Jake Paul will not face federal charges in connection to the May 2020 looting and riots in Scottsdale that ended with tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise taken from stores.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona on Thursday said it is not pursuing the charges against Paul "based upon the investigation and evidence available at this time."
Paul, however, could still face charges from the Scottsdale Police Department.
The department in August 2020 decided to stop pursuing the misdemeanor charges against Paul "in the interest of the community," and to allow for the federal investigation. But the department said it could re-submit criminal charges against Paul depending on the outcome of the federal investigation.
Scottsdale police originally submitted charges against Paul after video showed the 23-year-old inside the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall during the looting.
A spokesperson at the Los Angeles FBI field office confirmed to TEGNA over the phone that Paul's Calabasas home had been searched by agents as part of the federal investigation in August of last year.
RELATED: Scottsdale PD dismisses charges against Jake Paul for FBI investigation into Fashion Square looting
The looting and riots began as a march against racial injustice but escalated, violently, after a portion of the group broke off and raided Fashion Square shops.
The event spurred Gov. Doug Ducey to declare a statewide curfew that lasted over a week. The protests that followed remained peaceful, with many marchers denouncing the looters.
Scottsdale police said several dozen people have been arrested for the incident, and investigators are continuing to search for more suspects.
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