YouTuber facing felony charges after allegedly pepper spraying man for views

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I was shocked to hear that a YouTuber from Canada is in serious trouble with the law! Apparently, he got into an argument with someone outside a hardware store in California and things escalated. Prosecutors say he actually pepper-sprayed the other guy while he was filming a video for his channel, and now he’s facing felony charges. It’s a crazy situation, and I can’t believe it came to this.

Richard Troyan, age 48 and the creator of the YouTube channel “True North Transparency,” faces two felony charges related to an event that occurred on March 29th outside an Ace Hardware store in Menlo Park.

Okay, so I was reading about this case, and apparently, the guy, Troyan, wasn’t acting in self-defense when he sprayed the other person. The DA, Steve Wagstaffe, said they checked out videos people took at the time before deciding to press charges. Basically, they didn’t think he was justified in doing what he did.

Troyan is one of many “First Amendment auditors” – people who film interactions with both regular citizens and government workers, then post the videos on YouTube. Some people criticize this practice, claiming that certain auditors deliberately try to start arguments to get more views and earn money from ads.

Prosecutors say victim made “conditional” threat

According to Wagstaffe, the person who claimed to be a victim reportedly threatened Troyan, saying something like, “If you spray me, I’ll retaliate.”

According to prosecutors, that statement did not justify the use of force.

The victim’s statement was a warning – he said he would react if sprayed. According to Wagstaffe, that means avoiding spraying him should prevent any further action. You can’t justify acting before a threat is actually carried out.

You don’t have to back down, but you’re only allowed to use force if you’re facing an immediate threat, and that threat can’t be conditional – it has to be happening right then.

Troyan first posted a video of the incident on YouTube, using a title that alluded to the victim being intoxicated. The video has since been taken down from his channel.

The event occurred while Troyan was recording video in downtown Menlo Park with Conrad and Nick Rankin, who create content for the YouTube channel “iiMPACT MEDIA.”

The group was also seen with auditor Richard Maza, from the “Freedom of the Press” channel, the day before at a Costco in Mountain View during a different event.

After a dispute reportedly intended to create online views, Maza was arrested for allegedly pepper-spraying a shopper named Paul Rubino. He was subsequently charged with felony aggravated assault and the illegal use of tear gas.

The auditors are also being sued in two federal civil cases that allege they engaged in racketeering, violating the RICO Act.

Rubino is suing Troyan, Maza, and the Rankins for $3 million, claiming he lost much of his vision due to what happened at Costco.

Attorney Andrew Watters, based in Redwood City, has also filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuit. He claims a group harassed and threatened him outside Draeger’s Market just before the pepper-spray incident in Menlo Park.

A judge has authorized police to arrest Troyan, who is facing felony charges of assault with a weapon likely to cause serious harm and illegally using tear gas.

Wagstaffe admitted that it might be hard to arrest Troyan, as he currently lives in Ontario, Canada.

If authorities locate him anywhere in the United States, or if he enters the country, they will be aware of the outstanding felony warrant, according to Wagstaffe.

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2026-05-06 18:50