Federal investigators have shifted their focus from technical glitches to potential criminal activity following a raid on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's residence.
The move signals a serious escalation in the controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) abandoned artificial intelligence project. What started as a high-tech setback for Los Angeles schools has now become a full-scale corruption investigation.
Carvalho's residence and professional headquarters were targeted by federal investigators on Wednesday morning. The operation appears to be part of an inquiry into a firm that developed an AI assistant for the second-largest school district in the country.
The AllHere Connection and the Florida Link
While officials are keeping quiet about the specifics of the investigation, an insider has linked the search to AllHere. The now-defunct AI startup became a focal point of controversy in 2024 after its creator was accused of fraud.
In addition to the raids at Carvalho's home and his workspace at the district's headquarters, the FBI executed a warrant at a location in Florida. Documents reveal that this third site is linked to an individual with professional ties to the failed AI firm.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, law enforcement insiders informed The Times that the federal probe is focused squarely on Carvalho. The high-profile educator has been at the helm of LAUSD as superintendent since taking over in February 2022.
An FBI spokesperson in Miami confirmed that federal agents also searched a home in Southwest Ranches, a town located in Florida's Broward County. The raid is part of the broader investigation that brought investigators to Carvalho's doorstep in California.
Consultants, Commissions, and Family Ties
According to public records, the Florida property is owned by Debra Kerr, an educational technology salesperson who represented AllHere. While her home was part of the coordinated searches, neither federal agents nor anonymous sources have named Kerr as a specific target of the criminal probe. She could not be reached for comment regarding the morning's events.
Having built a career on bridging the gap between vendors and school boards, Kerr has maintained a long-standing alliance with Carvalho since his years in Florida. Her involvement with the now-collapsed AllHere was not merely consultative; she is currently pursuing the firm in court for a debt she claims totals $630,000 (£464447.64).
🚨 BREAKING: Video has been released of the FBI RAIDING the home of Los Angeles school superintendent Alberto Carvalho
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 25, 2026
A search warrant is being executed on both his home AND the LA schools HQ
The district has recently "misplaced" $76 MILLION in taxpayer funds, falsified… pic.twitter.com/93irOBpb8l
According to reporting by The 74, an educational news organisation, Kerr has previously alleged that AllHere failed to pay her commissions for securing the Los Angeles contract. The publication also noted that her son, Richard, once served as an account executive for the firm and confirmed that he was involved in pitching its services to city officials.
Official Confirmation and District Silence
Ciaran McEvoy, representing the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, verified on Wednesday that federal agents were carrying out 'a judicially approved search warrant' at the home of Carvalho and the district's central offices. While he also acknowledged a parallel operation in Florida, he offered no additional details about the investigation.
Los Angeles Unified Statement pic.twitter.com/Zaci7NO4Wx
— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) February 25, 2026
LAUSD officials said in a statement that they had been informed of the law enforcement activity and were cooperating with the investigation. They provided no additional details.
The Rise of a High-Profile Superintendent
Carvalho has led the Los Angeles Unified School District for 4 years, managing an educational empire that includes more than 500,000 pupils. The district's reach is vast, spanning more than 24 different municipalities. His leadership was recently solidified with a contract extension through to 2030, which, as reported by ABC7, carries an annual salary of $440,000 (£324425.20).
Carvalho's career was defined by his long-standing leadership in Florida, where he served the state's largest school system for 13 years. He arrived in Los Angeles with a reputation for academic excellence, having been widely credited with revitalising performance metrics across Miami-Dade.
A History of Friction with Federal Agencies
This isn't the first time Carvalho has been at odds with federal authorities during his time leading the LAUSD. Last year, he was a vocal opponent of immigration agents who tried to gain access to two local primary schools. On that occasion, the agents were successfully turned away by school staff.
FBI agents raid Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s California home and office
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 25, 2026
- He admits on camera to being an illegal in America for 40 years
- $77 million taxpayers dollars missing
- Student attendance records falsified
- Additional… pic.twitter.com/idIUcW5HaM
The federal raids come on the heels of the Justice Department joining a private lawsuit that accuses Carvalho's administration of racial bias against white students. This legal action, initiated by the 1776 Project Foundation, adds to a history of complicated interactions between the superintendent and federal agencies. However, investigators have not indicated that Wednesday's search is connected to these separate legal or political disputes.
Only a day before federal agents arrived at his home, Carvalho was at LAUSD headquarters celebrating student success. He spent Tuesday afternoon briefing the press on the district's strong performance and the rising number of pupils excelling in recent AP examinations.
