Alberto Carvalho: FBI raids of LAUSD Supt. alberto carvalho’s home and office appear tied to AI chatbot probe
Federal agents executed search warrants Wednesday morning at the San Pedro home and the downtown Los Angeles headquarters of Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. alberto carvalho as part of an inquiry that appears tied to a company that developed an AI chatbot for the district.
"This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. "
Searches at Home and Office
FBI agents searched Carvalho’s San Pedro residence and the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. Law enforcement sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said the federal investigation specifically involves Carvalho, who has served as LAUSD superintendent since February 2022.
Florida search and Debra Kerr
Along with Carvalho’s San Pedro home and the downtown headquarters, the FBI provided an address in Florida that was searched Wednesday morning. Public records show the Florida property is listed to Debra Kerr, a salesperson whose clients included AllHere. Kerr is listed as the owner of a residence in Southwest Ranches, a town in Broward County, Fla., an address the FBI spokesman in Miami confirmed was searched in connection with the investigation.
Kerr has long ties to Carvalho going back to his time as superintendent in Miami. She worked as a consultant to AllHere and has claimed in court documents that the company owes her $630, 000. Attempts to contact Kerr were unsuccessful. The 74 previously reported that Kerr said AllHere never paid her a commission owed for work closing the AllHere deal in Los Angeles, and that Kerr’s son, Richard, is a former AllHere account executive who told the 74 he pitched the company to L. A. school leaders.
AllHere, Joanna Smith-Griffin charged
One source with knowledge of the matter said the probe involved AllHere, a failed AI company whose founder was charged with fraud in 2024. Joanna Smith-Griffin, the founder and former chief executive of AllHere, was arrested in 2024 and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Joanna Smith-Griffin allegedly lied to investors as chief executive of AllHere, creator of Los Angeles Unified School District’s AI tool "Ed, " which had been withdrawn from service by the time of her arrest.
The envisioned LAUSD chatbot, known as "Ed, " had been unplugged. Ed was an artificial intelligence tool billed by Carvalho in August 2024 as revolut
Alberto Carvalho public record
Officials declined to provide further details because the affidavits have been sealed by the court. Sources familiar with the probe said the focus was Carvalho as opposed to LAUSD and that the inquiry would fall under the broad category of financial issues. Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U. S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, confirmed law enforcement was "executing a judicially approved search warrant" at Carvalho’s home and at the LAUSD headquarters and also confirmed a search in Florida but declined to comment further. LAUSD they had been informed of the law enforcement activity and were cooperating with the investigation and provided no additional details.
Carvalho’s background and response
Carvalho joined LAUSD in 2022 as a nationally acclaimed education leader from Miami-Dade, known for improving academics and defying Gov. Ron DeSantis on pandemic mandates. He was born in Portugal, spent his childhood living in poverty and came to the U. S. more than four decades ago at age 17, at times without legal status. Carvalho lived in New York City and then Miami; his first job in the U. S. was as a dishwasher, and he later worked as a day laborer.
After graduating with a biology degree in 1990 from Barry University, Carvalho taught science in Miami-Dade County and said in 2021, "My world changed when I became a teacher. " He rose through administrative ranks to become principal, district spokesperson, assistant superintendent and finally superintendent in 2008. During his 14-year tenure leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Carvalho was recognized for improving graduation rates and academic performance, especially among Black and Hispanic students. He was named Superintendent of the Year in 2014 by the national superintendents association and was knighted by Spain in 2021 for his work expanding Spanish-language school programs. That same year the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously voted to make him superintendent.
The district is the nation’s second-largest, made up of about 500, 000 students, around 30, 000 of them immigrants and some without legal status. Just before students returned to school last August, Carvalho urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius of schools, saying, "We are appealing to the better senses of those who have the power to eliminate trauma from the streets of our community. " He announced measures intended to protect students and families, including changing bus routes and distributing family preparedness packets that include know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates and tips on designating a backup caregiver in case a parent is detained.
Authorities have not provided additional details about the current investigation. The FBI declined to share more information beyond confirmations tied to sealed court affidavits.
