FBI raids tie Lausd Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to probe of AI chatbot developer
Federal agents executed search warrants Wednesday morning at the San Pedro home and the downtown headquarters office of lausd superintendent alberto carvalho, and also searched a Florida residence linked to an AI company whose chatbot for the district had been withdrawn from service.
Lausd Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home and office searched
FBI agents served warrants at Carvalho’s home on S. Parker Street in San Pedro and at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. 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 those locations and confirmed a search in Florida, but declined to comment further.
A Florida home in Southwest Ranches was also searched
Agents searched a residence in Southwest Ranches in Broward County, Fla., the FBI’s Miami spokesman said. The bureau provided an address in Florida that public records link to an individual who worked with AllHere, the failed AI company tied to the district’s earlier chatbot project.
AllHere, the chatbot 'Ed' and a charged founder
The federal actions appear connected to AllHere, whose founder was arrested and charged in 2024 with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. By the time of that arrest, the district’s envisioned chatbot, known as "Ed, " had been withdrawn from service. Ed was an artificial intelligence tool billed by Carvalho in August 2024 as revolut unclear in the provided context.
People tied to AllHere and financial claims
Public record databases list Debra Kerr as the owner of the Florida home; she is a salesperson whose clients included AllHere and has worked as a consultant to companies seeking work with school districts. Kerr has long ties to Carvalho dating to his time as superintendent in Miami, and she has claimed in court documents that AllHere owes her $630, 000. Kerr’s son, Richard, is a former AllHere account executive who said he pitched the company to Los Angeles school leaders. It is unclear in the provided context whether Kerr was identified as a target; attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.
What witnesses and officials described at the San Pedro scene
Neighbors and eyewitnesses counted over 20 FBI agents in unmarked vehicles at the San Pedro home and saw agents wearing blue jackets with "FBI" carrying cardboard boxes. About two dozen federal agents wearing blue jackets went inside the home and the downtown office, retrieved items and left quickly; there were no armored vehicles and no doors were busted. Reporters and photographers were held across the street while agents worked on S. Parker Street.
Investigative scope, sealed warrants and district response
Officials kept key details under seal. The U. S. attorney’s office and the FBI declined to discuss the nature of the investigation, noting the affidavits have been sealed by the court. Multiple people briefed on the matter described the case as white collar and likely involving financial issues rather than immigration enforcement. District they had been informed of law enforcement activity and were cooperating with the investigation. Carvalho’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Witnesses reported seeing someone in handcuffs, but those briefed on the probe said no arrests were made during the raids and there was no indication agents ransacked the home. The warrants remain under seal and federal officials declined further comment; the district said it would continue to cooperate as investigators proceed.
