The Rise and Fall of Heston James: When Pranks Turn Criminal

Heston Cobb, better known to his 1.6 million TikTok followers as Heston James, was riding high on the wave of social media fame. His videos, packed with audacious pranks and stunts, racked up millions of views, cementing his status as a rising star in the influencer world. That all changed on July 23, 2025, when Tempe police arrested him at his Arizona home, slapping him with charges that could see him behind bars for up to nine years and facing fines exceeding $315,000. What started as a quest for viral fame has now spiraled into a legal nightmare, raising questions about where the line between entertainment and crime truly lies.