Most people expect news anchors to report on crime, not become the story themselves. Yet several Fox News personalities have found themselves in handcuffs over the years. From drunk driving incidents to more serious charges, these reporters have made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Some kept their jobs after their arrests while others lost everything. The network known for its bold political commentary has seen its share of embarrassing moments when cameras turn on their own staff. Here are the Fox News anchors who couldn’t stay out of trouble with the law.
Russell Rhodes got injured fighting police in 2009
Have you ever made a mistake you immediately regretted? Fox 13’s Russell Rhodes certainly did in January 2009. A deputy pulled over the “Good Day Tampa Bay” anchor for reckless driving in a parking garage. When Rhodes stepped out of his BMW, his belt was unbuckled and his pants were unfastened. The morning news anchor appeared drunk and refused to cooperate with the officer. He wouldn’t hand over his car keys and kept trying to leave the scene. Things quickly went from bad to worse for the longtime anchor.
During an attempt to run out of the garage, the officer grabbed Rhodes. The anchor started flailing his arms at the deputy. The officer forced Rhodes to the ground, leaving him with cuts and severe bruising on more than half his face. Rhodes apologized and said he panicked because he feared losing his job. After spending the night in jail, he paid a $500 bail. The then 49-year-old returned to his on-air position the following month. He avoided trial through a plea deal involving 50 hours of community service. Rhodes still anchors “Good Day Tampa Bay” today after 30 years with the network.
Gregg Jarrett struggled with officers at an airport bar
National Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett became one of the biggest network faces to get a mugshot in May 2014. Police found him at a restaurant inside the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport sitting at the bar and swaying unsteadily. Jarrett told a fellow customer he’d taken medication earlier. He told police he’d been drinking since 9 a.m. that morning. The commentator had recently been released from an alcohol and chemical dependency treatment facility. He also had gabapentin pills in his possession, which can cause drowsiness and impaired coordination.
Things got physical when officers tried to hold Jarrett. According to a police report, he was taken to a holding cell where he became agitated. He grabbed an officer’s arm and started struggling with police. It took more than one officer to handcuff him. Officials charged him with obstructing the legal process. Fox News released a statement saying Jarrett was “dealing with serious personal issues at this time.” After paying his $300 bail, he was released the next morning. The charge against him was dismissed in February 2016. Jarrett remains with Fox News today.
Sabrina Rodriguez served as lookout for Coach store theft
Sacramento’s Fox 40 anchor Sabrina Rodriguez lost her career over a handbag heist in August 2014. The Emmy-winning anchor was arrested on grand theft, burglary, and conspiracy charges. Police said she served as a lookout and driver for her then-fiancé, Nicholas Gray. He stole 10 Coach purses valued at a total of $2,500 from an outlet store in March 2013. Rodriguez denied knowing anything about the theft at first. However, text messages about 100 purses, expensive sweaters, and skirts told a different story.
One text message from Rodriguez was particularly damaging. She replied “awesome. I love when a plan comes together.” She was released on a $10,000 bail after her arrest. Rodriguez was later sentenced to 60 days in county jail. She also had to pay $2,484 in restitution to the Coach store. The anchor resigned from Fox40 and posted on Facebook about being “heartbroken” over the decision. In an ironic twist, Rodriguez had interviewed a shoplifter who stole Coach handbags the year before her own arrest. She maintained her innocence during interviews despite her plea deal.
Amanda Davis was arrested three times for driving incidents
The late Amanda Davis, who anchored for Atlanta’s Fox 5, had multiple run-ins with the law throughout her career. Her first arrest came after an accident in November 2012. She was charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and a DUI. She was found not guilty of the DUI charge. Then in June 2015, she was arrested again for driving under the influence in Cobb County. The court placed her on a one-year probationary period. Her license was suspended for 120 days as part of her punishment.
That suspended license led to another arrest in December 2016 when police pulled her over for an expired tag. Davis thought her license would automatically become valid again after the suspension period ended. She called it a “misunderstanding.” Davis retired from Fox 5 in 2013 and later became a morning news anchor for CBS affiliate WGCL. She died at age 62 in December 2017 after suffering a stroke. Colleagues remembered her fondly. She was best known for covering Coretta Scott King’s funeral and interviewing Barack Obama before he became president.
Isiah Carey has two drunk driving charges on his record
Fox 26 Houston anchor Isiah Carey, host of “The Isiah Factor Uncensored,” has been charged with driving while intoxicated twice. His first charge came in October 2018 after his arrest in Montgomery County. A resident reported an intoxicated driver, and an officer noticed Carey’s black Mercedes swerving down the road. Police also observed numerous other signs of possible impairment. The anchor later posted an apology on Facebook admitting that drinking any alcohol and driving was a poor decision.
Carey was convicted of a Class B misdemeanor for that incident. But that wasn’t his last encounter with law enforcement. His second DWI arrest happened in February 2025 in the same county while traveling on the interstate. This time the charge was upgraded to a Class A misdemeanor. His bail was set at $1,000. Despite having two drunk driving arrests, Carey is still employed with the network. “The Isiah Factor Uncensored” continues to air as of this writing. His story shows that some anchors can survive multiple arrests and keep their careers intact.
Feven Kay was found naked and passed out in her car
Fox 5 Las Vegas anchor Feven Kiflegiorgis, who goes by Feven Kay on air, had one of the stranger arrests on this list. On an early March morning in 2021, someone found her naked and passed out behind the wheel of her Audi. When Kay stumbled out of the vehicle, she smelled like alcohol. She had no memory of how she got there. The early morning weekday anchor declined an alcohol blood test when police asked. She was arrested and charged with reckless driving with disregard for safety.
Kay took a long absence from her anchor position after the arrest. When she returned to Fox 5, she addressed the incident on air. She acknowledged being arrested for driving under the influence and said she was inside a parked vehicle in a Las Vegas neighborhood alone at the time. She told viewers she had learned from the experience. The California State University graduate was fined $1,000 and ordered to take driving lessons. Her charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. According to her LinkedIn, Kay left Fox 5 in April 2024.
Matt Vereen is serving prison time for exploiting a minor
WACH Fox 57 weekend sports anchor Matt Vereen faced the most serious charges of anyone on this list. He was arrested in August 2024 on three charges related to sexual exploitation of a minor. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators built a case against the then 28-year-old. They found that Vereen had solicited, purchased, and stored child sexual abuse material of an underage girl on his laptop. Investigators used his Gmail and Apple accounts along with ISP records as evidence.
The network released a statement saying they understood the severity of the allegations. Vereen was immediately placed on suspension pending investigation. Two of his three charges were ultimately dismissed as part of a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He began serving his 30-month prison sentence in September 2025. He will also have to register as a sex offender upon release. His case stands as one of the most disturbing involving a Fox affiliate anchor in recent memory.
Don Lemon was arrested for covering a Minnesota protest
Former CNN journalist Don Lemon found himself in federal custody in January 2026 for his role covering a protest. Federal agents took him into custody in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy Awards. His arrest was connected to his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest along with several others involved in the protest. Lemon’s attorney released a statement confirming that federal agents had taken the journalist.
The arrest sparked outrage from press freedom advocates. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the arrests “deeply troubling and contrary to the rights our Constitution guarantees us.” He stated that in Minnesota, journalists are not treated like criminals for doing their jobs. The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists said they were alarmed by the escalating actions that attack freedom of the press. They emphasized that documenting a protest against the federal government is not illegal. Details on specific charges had not been made available at the time of the arrest announcement.
Georgia Fort was detained at her home by federal agents
Local Minnesota independent journalist Georgia Fort was also arrested in connection with the same St. Paul church protest coverage. Federal agents came to her home to make the arrest. Footage shared on her social media shows her responding to authorities at her residence. Fort was released from federal custody later that same Friday afternoon. Her 17-year-old daughter spoke at a news conference about the difficulty of explaining the situation to her younger siblings. She emphasized that her mother is not a protester but someone working to support her family.
The Center of Broadcast Journalism called the arrest “an assault on press and on the 1st Amendment.” They described Fort as a trusted and cherished journalist in Minnesota. Her husband, former professional boxer Ceresso Fort, expressed confusion about why a journalist would be arrested for doing her job. The Council of American Islamic Relations said it was a “dark day in American history.” Attorney General Ellison stated that no one should be arrested merely for holding a camera or asking hard questions. Community members rallied to demand her release throughout the day.
These arrests show that no one is above the law, even those who report on crime for a living. From drunk driving incidents to more serious offenses, Fox News anchors have found themselves on the wrong side of the headlines. Some managed to keep their jobs while others saw their careers end overnight. The cases also highlight how covering news itself can sometimes lead to legal trouble, as recent journalist arrests have shown. Whether the charges were minor or major, each case served as a reminder that working in the public eye comes with serious risks when personal judgment fails.
