Copyright Atlanta Black Star
Pranking your way into a federal lawsuit? Now that’s commitment to the craft — though probably not the kind Carliemar White was aiming for when he suited up as “Agent Ratliff” and rolled into a storefront with a fake badge and a camera crew. White, the Atlanta-based comedian and internet sensation, is now facing legal heat after a prank video featuring Baton Rouge company Holmes Building Materials racked up over 120,000 views—and one very real complaint. The company and supervisor Derek Jones filed suit in the Louisiana Middle District Court on Oct. 1, alleging that White’s Aug. 1 visit crossed the line from comedy into criminal impersonation. ‘This Must Stop’: Tyler Perry and Black Hollywood Heavy-Hitters Back Comedians’ Lawsuit Against Police After Being Racially Profiled at Atlanta Airport According to the lawsuit, White and two associates showed up claiming to represent OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, though White’s fictional agency goes by “Occupational Cares Diversity Affairs.” When employees asked for credentials, the complaint states White and his crew doubled down on the OSHA affiliation. The bit didn’t land well, according to WBRZ. In the video, posted Aug. 12, “Agent Ratliff, ID No. 33712” confronts Jones over alleged workplace complaints, accusing him of everything from nepotism and harassment to calling Black employees “monkeys.” Other accusations accused Jones of bad hygiene and unsanitary practices. But Holmes and Jones say the sketch went far beyond satire. The lawsuit claims White refused to let Jones leave the room, that his associates blocked the doorway, and that White blew cigarette smoke in Jones’ face — allegations that form the basis of claims including false imprisonment, battery, and defamation. In an exclusive interview with Atlanta Black Star, Smith said he first learned about the case through social media and plans to fight back after being hit with what he calls a lawsuit built on lies. “I wasn’t aware until somebody tagged me on Facebook on this news channel post in Baton Rouge,” Smith said. “Then I had shared it on my Facebook and Instagram and told my lawyer about it. My lawyer’s on top of everything, and they’re not gonna win because they lied.” The company argues White’s actions were “calculated to deceive” and that they never would have allowed the group inside without believing they were legitimate government officials. Holmes and Jones demanded the video’s removal on Sept. 25, and now they’re asking a federal judge to scrub all of White’s OCDA content from the internet entirely. The suit reportedly accuses Smith of impersonating a federal agency, something he says never happened. “They said I was with a federal agency, that I claimed to work for OSHA — and I would never say that,” Smith explained. “The feds already raided my damn door about that. How would I still be out here saying that?” According to the comic, his accusers made a false claim that damaged his reputation and led to online confusion about his content. “That’s defamation. They lied on me,” he said. “All they did was make everybody go back and watch the video to see what really happened.” The internet, naturally, has opinions, mostly in White’s defense. On Threads, one commenter struck a cautious note: “Aww damn his videos are hilarious. But I figured he’d get in trouble at some point.” Another warned, “This ‘YouTube prank’ s—t is gonna get somebody killed and they’ll probably kinda deserve it.” Over on X, reactions were mixed. “Folks always complaining. Just laugh it off, pranks are pranks because none of it is real,” one user tweeted, while another questioned the business’s judgment: “His pranks are so unserious. There’s no way any business could take him seriously and think he’s a fed. Are people really that dumb.” The video shows White and his associate coming into the Louisiana business and confronting Derek Jones. They are disrespectful, accusing Jones of all kinds of bigoted actions, and one can see the manager getting upset. However, he never attempts to get up, allows them to talk and does not kick them out until about nine minutes into the prank. They do not prohibit him from leaving, as the complaint alleges, nor does he ever express a desire to leave. They also do not identify themselves as federal agents, though the name of their made-up agency does sound like they could be actual government officials. At one point, the comic does light up a cigarette, but does not directly blow smoke at Jones’ face. His drags are obnoxious, but purposely exaggerated to make Jones upset. This isn’t White’s first brush with authorities over his OCDA character. The lawsuit notes that last year, in 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor searched White’s home related to accusations of impersonating an OSHA agent, perhaps because previous videos depicted him calling his fake agency “OSHA Cares Diversity Affair.” Still, according to his bio, White has built a substantial following — 1.3 million on TikTok, over 447,000 on Instagram — by turning spoofed workplace grievances into viral content. Originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, he’s shared stages with comedy heavyweights like Mike Epps and Lavell Crawford and even dropped a viral song, “Never Do S#!T At Work.” The comic first rose to fame on TikTok in 2020, but it was his “OCDA” sketch series, launched in June 2023, that sent his career skyrocketing. Starting with just 24,000 followers, White’s sharp humor and offbeat style helped him reach over one million fans by December 2024. Smith added that his team is preparing a countersuit for defamation and trademark violations. “We got our stuff registered and trademarked, so now y’all gonna end up having to pay me,” he said. As one X user put it, “LMFAO. This will never hold up. They assumed he was a fed. He never claims [to be part of] any actual federal agency.” Whether that defense holds water in court remains to be seen. Unfazed by the criticism online, Smith advised other creators to “Keep going. Don’t let them scare you, especially if you’re doing something that’s right for the people.”
