Social media influencer pleads guilty after prank videos at Arizona Chipotle, other businesses

An Arizona social media influencer has pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation after leading disruptive "prank" takeovers of local businesses, including a Chipotle restaurant, that were filmed and posted online for millions of views. Heston James Cobb, who posts as "Heston James," entered his plea on a Friday after Tempe police accused him of dressing as staff, entering employee-only areas and refusing to leave when confronted, raising concerns from industry figures about the toll such stunts take on businesses.

Cobb, 21 at the time of his arrest in July 2025, was linked by Tempe police to incidents at Chipotle, Pep Boys, Hyland Auto Repair, Big Brand Tire & Service and Jiffy Lube between March and July 2025, acting as "leader" of a group who posed as workers. He was booked on one count of third-degree burglary, two counts of criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct and five counts of criminal trespass. The Arizona Restaurant Association's president said he hoped for a severe punishment to deter copycats, while a University of Tennessee social media professor noted the case shows that behaviour illegal offline remains illegal when filmed for online content.