There’s one case true crime YouTuber JLR Investigates isn’t covering: Ex’s allegations he beat and strangled her
Jonathan Lee Riches, also known online as JLR Investigates, is facing serious accusations from a former girlfriend who claims he assaulted, strangled, and threatened her life, according to court documents.
In a sworn petition filed in Arkansas, Jaime Tennille Phillips details an alleged violent attack on Christmas Eve 2025, part of what she describes as years of abuse, including repeated strangulation.
The 49-year-old Riches, a convicted felon who spent a decade in federal prison for a credit card fraud scheme, reportedly began a relationship with Phillips in early 2023 that escalated into “persistent and escalating domestic abuse, coercive control, intimidation, financial exploitation, and physical violence,” according to the affidavit obtained by The Post. The alleged December 24 assault left Phillips with serious injuries, including a broken nose and septum and significant trauma to her head and ribs, requiring emergency medical care, CT scans, X-rays, and future reconstructive surgery.
Phillips claims Riches attacked her multiple times, including a separate alleged incident in August 2025 when he struck her with a closed fist. She also alleges he strangled her about two dozen times and threatened to kill her if she reported him. Following the Christmas incident, she says he continued to harass her with threats and financial manipulation while she was in Washington state.
On January 21, 2026, a court issued an order of protection, stating there was sufficient evidence that Phillips faced “an immediate and present danger of domestic abuse.” Riches has not responded publicly to the allegations, and neither he nor his lawyer returned requests for comment.
Washington’s Chelan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in an incident report that authorities had probable cause to arrest Riches, but he had left the state. No formal charges or arrest warrant appear to have been issued.
Phillips, who has a controversial history—including accusations in 2017 of fabricating a story about being impregnated by Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore as a teenager—described Riches as manipulative. She told The Post that he “portrayed himself as if he had changed and turned his life around, but that’s not real. He’s a fraud. The only thing he cares about is money. He loves when there’s a mass shooting because he knows he’ll get views and cash.”
Riches built a following on YouTube as JLR Investigates over the last three years, amassing more than 500,000 subscribers. He positions himself as a “fearless investigator,” livestreaming at crime scenes and involving himself in high-profile cases.
Most recently, he has been broadcasting from Tucson, Arizona, near the residence of missing Nancy Guthrie. Fellow streamer Alina Smith described him as “a big celebrity in the true-crime community,” noting his relentless filming schedule, often lasting up to 15 hours a day. Riches accepts viewer requests and donations to perform tasks such as zooming in on certain areas of a scene. Some estimate he can earn up to $30,000 weekly from this “boots-on-the-ground” approach, regardless of the accuracy of his reporting.
Riches’ controversial history stretches back decades. In 2003, he was indicted in Texas on credit card fraud charges, pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud. He was sentenced to over 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $93,000 in restitution.
While incarcerated, he became infamous for filing thousands of bizarre, frivolous lawsuits—over 4,000 by some estimates—targeting politicians, celebrities, and public figures, including the Kardashians. The flood of cases led federal prosecutors to seek a nationwide injunction against him.
After his release in 2012, Riches continued drawing attention for disruptive stunts. Days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, he falsely claimed to be the uncle of gunman Adam Lanza and attempted to approach Lanza’s home, filming the encounter for YouTube. In later years, he impersonated others in court filings, including filing a civil action against Gabrielle Giffords, posing as her attempted assassin Jared Loughner, a case he admitted was a joke.
Riches also gained notoriety for attending high-profile political events in disguise, including rallies for President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, presenting himself as different religions despite being an atheist from a Christian family.
Today, as JLR Investigates, Riches livestreams from active crime scenes and major investigations, earning income from viewers while facing criticism from journalists and law enforcement for potentially interfering with investigations and spreading misinformation. He has left business cards at missing persons’ homes and speculated publicly on sensitive cases, sometimes without verification.
Despite the controversies, Riches maintains a dedicated fan base. Some followers travel interstate to see him at crime scenes, while others donate online. His high-profile online presence continues to draw attention, even as domestic violence allegations and a history of deception shadow his career.
About Post Author
