Heston Cobb, the TikTok influencer accused of posing as an employee to take over Tempe businesses for viral prank videos, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal impersonation.
Cobb, who posts online as Heston James, appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court in a black suit on Aug 28.
As part of his plea, he agreed to remove videos connected to his charges, stop mentioning the victims or their businesses on social media, stay away from the businesses and pay restitution.
In a screenshot from a video at an auto repair shop posted July 4, 2025, Heston Cobb is seen dressed in blue coveralls and identifies himself as being with corporate. He was there in response to multiple complaints, he says in the video.
Police initially arrested Cobb on charges connected to five Tempe businesses including Chipotle, Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys. He was later indicted on 13 counts, including three counts each of burglary and criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct and two counts of criminal trespass.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges against him at sentencing later this fall, and not to bring charges stemming from one Mesa police report identified in the plea.
People are also reading…
Cobb admitted that on March 17, 2025, he and several friends entered a Chipotle near Elliot Road and Loop 101/Price Road and claimed they were from the company's corporate office so they could gain access to parts of the restaurant normally closed to customers.
What 'Heston James' filmed for social media accounts
About a dozen people wearing Chipotle shirts entered the restaurant and began wiping down tables, with one person even using a mop on a tabletop, as Cobb directed the group and demanded access to the back of the restaurant. Several employees repeatedly told Cobb and the others to leave, while one employee called police and another stood in front of the kitchen entrance to block them from going farther.
On July 3, 2025, Cobb and others did essentially the same thing at Big Brand Tire & Service and Pep Boys, identifying themselves as corporate employees so they could get into restricted areas, Cobb’s attorney Vicki Lopez said.
The reason, she told the judge, was to film the encounters and turn them into social media content.
She said Cobb had sponsors and millions of followers and that the reason behind the “impersonation” was to make videos for social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram.
Two videos highlighted by police had nearly 22 million Instagram views combined when Cobb was arrested. His Heston James Instagram page had about 1.2 million followers at the time.
Cobb had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2025. His attorneys later identified lack of specific intent, lack of criminal intent and insufficient evidence among the defenses they could raise if the case went to trial.
Cobb is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 1.
