SOUTHWEST RANCHES, FLA. (WSVN) - Federal agents searched a Southwest Ranches home on the same day they raided the Los Angeles residence of former Miami-Dade County Public-Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, and the FBI said both searches are connected.
FBI agents on Wednesday were spotted carrying boxes and other items out of Carvalho’s home in Los Angeles’ San Pedro community.
Carvalho, who served the M-DCPS education system for more than a decade, moved to Los Angeles in 2022 to serve as the superintendent of the Los Angeles County’s Unified School District
The U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles confirmed a judge signed off on a search warrant for Carvalho’s home and for the school district’s headquarters, where his office is located.
But the investigation is going coast to coast, with a search, also on Wednesday, of a Southwest Ranches home owned by Debra Kerr, according to property records.
The New York Times and other outlets report Kerr is a former sales representative for a failed AI company called AllHere, once contracted by the Los Angeles Unified School District for tech services.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Kerr has not been identified as a target of the investigation.
AllHere founder Joanna Smith Griffin appeared on stage with Carvalho in April 2024 after entering into a multi-million dollar contract with the Los Angeles school system. Months later, however, the company collapsed and Smith Griffin was indicted, leaving Kerr in the lurch.
A letter from around the time of the company’s failure in 2024 indicates AllHere “abandoned” a contract with Miami-Dade schools. The contract appears to be for some sort of communication services.
While the FBI confirms the searches are linked, the nature of the investigation is unclear. Federal agents are only characterizing it as “white collar.”
During his Miami-Dade tenure, Carvalho was credited with improving academic performance and graduation rates.
Political consultant and friend of Carvalho, Tangela Sears, says it pains her to know what he may be going through with this investigation.
“I’m hurt that he’s even going through what he’s going through now and I just love Alberto for his commitment to our community and that commitment did not go away when he went to [Los Angeles.],” she said.
As of early Thursday afternoon, representatives of the Miami-Dade school district have no comment.
Neither Carvalho nor the federal officials in charge of this investigation have responded to 7News’ request for comment.
The Board of Education in Los Angeles held an emergency Thursday afternoon closed-door meeting to discuss Carvalho’s position. As of late Thursday night, the board hadn’t announced a decision.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.