Mistah F.A.B arrested after July 4 video sparks illegal fireworks investigation
Mistah F.A.B. – whose legal name is Stanley Cox – was booked into the Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of possessing fireworks and receiving stolen property, according to court documents.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly possessing dangerous fireworks after police launched an investigation into a July 4 Instagram video that reportedly showed him with thousands of dollars worth of pyrotechnics.
Video sparks investigation
What we know:
The Oakland Police Department began investigating Mistah F.A.B. – whose legal name is Stanley Cox – after he uploaded the holiday video that allegedly showed him with several boxes of fireworks that he estimated in the recording to be worth $10,000 and said were "for the kids," according to court documents obtained by KTVU.
Authorities obtained search warrants for Cox’s home and two of his businesses, and arrested the man on Wednesday.
Police also searched the properties connected to Cox, and found a stolen gun at his home and several boxes of fireworks at one of his businesses, according to court documents.
Police said Cox admitted to being on the scene where the fireworks were launched during the July 4 video, but denied owning the pyrotechnics, OPD said.
Booked into jail
Rapper thanks supporters:
Cox was booked into the Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of possessing the fireworks and receiving stolen property, according to court documents.
Cox on Friday posted another Instagram video after he posted bail where he expressed gratitude to those who supported him while he was in police custody.
"If I am guilty of anything, it is of serving my community, being a neighborhood hero, continuing to put on community service and creating safe environments for the children and the community," Cox said.
Cox said in the video that the arrest marked the first time he was ever put inside a jail, and though the experience riddled him with anxiety, it also afforded him an opportunity to put things into perspective.
"For the first time in my life, for the first time in my adulthood… being able to be in [jail] and to sit in silence, I was able to hear the sound of silence," Cox said. "In that darkest hour, I was able to see the future of my brightest moments of saying, ‘Hey I got to strip you, I got to take you out of your element, I got to put you in a position where you can see what’s going on around you."
OPD says the investigation into Cox is ongoing.
The backstory:
Cox has long organized and participated in several community-focused events intended to offer relief to East Bay residents. For years, he has had a hand in Oakland’s annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and in the city’s annual efforts to gather backpacks to help children prepare for the school year.
Also, in 2025, Cox chose to highlight Men's Mental Health Awareness Month by launching THUG Therapy, which is described as "unconventional therapy for modern minds."
The Source: Mistah F.A.B. Instagram account, Oakland Police Department, County of Alameda Superior Court records