Unclear Legal Risks After FBI Raids: Alberto Carvalho Faces Sealed Probe Tied to an AI Chatbot Deal

Why this matters now: federal search activity centered on alberto carvalho has put a major school district and several private players under an immediate cloud of uncertainty. The sealed nature of the warrants and multiple locations searched mean the proximate implications — for district contracts, vendor relationships and the superintendent’s leadership — are not yet clear.

Alberto Carvalho and the core uncertainty

Federal agents executed judicially approved search warrants at Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s San Pedro home and at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. Officials have not provided details about the investigation; the affidavits are sealed and law enforcement has limited comment. The sealed records are the central reason the scope and targets of the probe remain uncertain.

What was searched and who was involved

Investigators also searched an address in Florida — a residence in Southwest Ranches in Broward County — in connection with the activity. Public records link that Florida property to an individual who worked with AllHere, the AI company tied to the school district chatbot project. Property records list Debra Kerr as the owner of the Florida home; Kerr is described in public databases as a salesperson whose clients included AllHere. Attempts to contact Kerr were unsuccessful, and officials did not identify her on Wednesday as a target of the investigation.

Eyewitness accounts and media observers described roughly two dozen federal agents wearing blue jackets marked "FBI" entering the San Pedro home and taking items in cardboard boxes before leaving quickly. Neighbors counted more than 20 agents in unmarked vehicles. Observers said the raid did not involve armored vehicles or forced entry; there is no public record in the provided context that anyone was arrested, and officials noted no sign that the home was ransacked.

How the probe connects to AllHere, the chatbot "Ed, " and legal allegations

The FBI activity appears tied to AllHere, a failed AI company that developed an AI chatbot for the district. The founder of AllHere, Joanna Smith‑Griffin, was arrested in 2024 and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. By the time of that arrest, the envisioned LAUSD chatbot known as "Ed" had been withdrawn from service. One account in the available context says the probe involves Carvalho specifically rather than the district as an institution, and that the matter would fall under the broad category of financial issues.

Debra Kerr has longstanding ties to Carvalho dating back to his time as superintendent in Miami. Kerr worked as a consultant to AllHere and has claimed in court documents that the company owes her $630, 000. A prior education news report noted Kerr said AllHere never paid a commission tied to the Los Angeles deal and also noted that her son, Richard, is a former AllHere account executive who pitched the company to L. A. school leaders.

Official confirmations, local responses and sealed limits

Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U. S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, confirmed that law enforcement was executing judicially approved search warrants at Carvalho’s home and at LAUSD headquarters, and also confirmed a search in Florida while declining further comment. District they had been informed of the law enforcement activity and were cooperating, but provided no additional details. The Mayor’s Office stated the school district is an independent body and had no information about the investigation. Carvalho’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment in the available context.

Multiple briefings referenced the case remaining under seal and characterized it as a "white collar" matter likely related to finances and not to immigration enforcement. The FBI declined to share more information publicly because the affidavits are sealed by the court.

• Key immediate signals: agents executed sealed warrants at three locations (San Pedro home on S. Parker Street, LAUSD headquarters downtown, and a Southwest Ranches, Fla. residence).
• Named individuals and roles in the available context: Alberto Carvalho (LAUSD superintendent since February 2022), Debra Kerr (owner of the Florida property, consultant/salesperson tied to AllHere), Joanna Smith‑Griffin (AllHere founder, arrested in 2024 on multiple charges), Richard Kerr (identified as a former AllHere account executive in prior coverage).
• Actions described on scene: roughly two dozen agents in blue jackets marked "FBI, " cardboard boxes removed, reporters and photographers kept across the street; neighbors reported over 20 agents in unmarked vehicles.
• Legal posture: affidavits sealed; U. S. attorney’s office confirmed judicially approved searches but declined further comment; district is cooperating.

Here’s the part that matters: the sealed warrants and the presence of a Florida address tied by records to AllHere focus attention on financial relationships surrounding the chatbot contract, but the details remain under seal and therefore unclear in the provided context.

It’s easy to overlook, but the timeline in the available information anchors these events to a series of prior developments: Carvalho joined LAUSD in 2022 after more than a decade leading Miami‑Dade, the chatbot "Ed" was withdrawn from service by the time AllHere’s founder was arrested in 2024, and the searches occurred on a Wednesday morning with multiple locations targeted.

The real question now is how quickly the sealed affidavits are unsealed or further comment is authorized by prosecutors, because that will determine whether the probe's focus narrows to individuals, vendor contracts, or broader district practices. Recent updates indicate details may evolve as the courts and prosecutors decide what to release publicly.