A U.S. YouTuber is facing a 10-year prison sentence after filming a video that showed a Lamborghini being shot at with fireworks from a helicopter.
In July 2023, YouTube star Alex Choi, who is based in Studio City, California, uploaded a since-deleted video titled “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks” to the platform.
YouTuber faces federal charges after filming two women in a helicopter shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini (shown below) illegal to have explosive on aircraft. – More below
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Choi, a YouTuber who specializes in the “greatest car shenanigans,” says he directed the video. In the clip, Choi is seen driving a Lamborghini as two women shoot fireworks in the direction of the speeding car from above.
Choi, who has almost one million subscribers on YouTube, allegedly shot the footage at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in rural San Bernardino county last summer to mark July 4.
According to a statement published by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of California on Thursday, Choi has now been arrested for filming the stunt — which involved flying near the ground without filming permits.
Choi, who is also known as Suk Min Choi, has been charged with one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.
If convicted, the YouTuber faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors allege that Choi didn’t obtain permits from the Bureau of Land Management or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives required to film the video. They believe that Choi shot the footage on El Mirage Dry Lake, a recreation area on federal land in San Bernardino County.
“After shooting what appears to be a live-action version of a fictionalized video game scene, the video transitions to a behind-the-scenes look at how Choi shot the first third of the video,” the U.S. attorney’s office writes in the statement.
During that portion of the video, prosecutors claim that Choi had allegedly made various references to himself coordinating the shoot. According to prosecutors,
Choi also thanked a camera company in the recording for “being a part of my crazy stupid ideas.”
On Thursday, Choi appeared in court and a federal magistrate judge ordered him released on a $50,000 bond — with his arraignment set for July 2. No plea was taken.
Image credits: All photos via U.S. District Court.