Fact Check: Did 'Pawn Stars' personality Rick Harrison receive a life sentence?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Rumors have been flying faster than a bidding war at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop — and this time, they claim 'Pawn Stars' frontman Rick Harrison just scored a life sentence in prison.
According to several YouTube videos and TikTok ramblings that have gone viral of late, Harrison was allegedly raided by federal agents, cuffed, charged with a laundry list of felonies, and carted off to prison.
One video posted March 26 was titled “Rick Harrison From Pawn Stars Sentenced To Life Imprisonment” and has since racked up over 2.5 million views.
Fact Check: False
The origin of this fantasy trial is rather bizarre.
One YouTube narrator claimed that in 2023, a dream team of FBI agents, IRS investigators, and reps from something called the "Department of Cultural Heritage Protection" raided Harrison’s home and slapped him with charges like tax evasion, money laundering, dealing in stolen property, and conspiring to traffic cultural artifacts.
According to Snopes, however, there are no records of this happening. No reports of raids or charges, and there was no credible evidence that Harrison had been incarcerated, as noted by the website US Prison Guide on April 6.
A Google search for "Rick Harrison" and "life sentence" turned up no coverage from reputable news sources regarding such a sentence.
Also, it's worth noting that the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection doesn’t exist in the US — it's reportedly known to exist in Chinese and Polish bureaucracies.
The video goes even further off the rails at the 16:28 mark, claiming the supposed court drama ended with Rick in handcuffs and that those images dominated “news coverage and social media.”
But no such images exist. Snopes even checked Getty Images and the AP Newsroom. The few pictures floating around of Rick in an orange jumpsuit are AI-generated, according to detectors like WasItAI and Decopy AI.
Rick Harrison is still talking despite Pawn Stars 'pause'
In February, Rick and co-star Austin “Chumlee” Russell launched a podcast called “Pawn After Dark.”
That same month, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that 'Pawn Stars' is on “indefinite pause” after running more than 20 seasons. But there was zero indication that the break had anything to do with handcuffs, sentencing, or scandal.
It's worth noting, however, that some of the videos pushing these claims have admitted it’s all made up.
One April 2 upload came with a soft disclaimer stating, “For entertainment purposes, our videos blend factual, rumored, and fictional content. Viewers should not consider any of this information as definitive or accurate. We advise responsible viewing."
Even the March 26 clip that garnered millions of views noted that its stories “may not always reflect the latest developments or offer a full perspective.” It included a statement that read, "We invite viewers to think critically and seek further credible sources to expand their understanding."
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
