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Car enthusiast Alex Choi, who has a YouTube channel with over 900K subscribers, has reportedly been charged by the DOJ (Department of Justice) on June 7 for a stunt involving a Lamborghini and a helicopter in a video from last year. The video titled Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks dates back to July 2023, and has since been taken down.
Alex, whose real name is Suk Min Choi, is a South Korean influencer based in Los Angeles with over a million followers on Instagram where he posts photos and stunts of cars. Choi is 24 years of age and is slated to appear in front of the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles this coming Thursday for charges related to the use of explosive devices on an aircraft without permission.
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How long can Alex Choi be sentenced if found guilty over a YouTube stunt involving firing fireworks from a helicopter?
Alex Choi was arrested on Wednesday, June 5, according to NBC News, after being investigated by the federal agency FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for the use of fireworks from a helicopter. The 11-minute-long video featured a sequence where two women cpuld be seen firing a barrage of fireworks at a Lamborgini.
Court documents indicate that Alex planned the whole incident and acquired the fireworks from outside California as they are banned in the state. The whole action sequence, which has been likened to a re-enactment of a video game scene by the affidavit, was allegedly shot on the dry lakebed of El Mirage in San Bernardino County.
According to the law, if found guilty, Alex Choi could be facing about 10 years in a federal prison. While he is slated to appear in front of the court on Thursday, his arrangements will take place in the coming weeks and exact dates have not been set by the authorities.
The notification for an investigation against the YouTuber was reportedly sent by the FAA to the Department of Transportation back in December last year. In January, the federal agency revoked the license of the pilot of the helicopter that was used in the shooting of the video. Court documents state that the helicopter in question took off from a California airport on June 27, 2023, suggesting that is the date Alex Choi filmed the video.
In the now taken-down video, Alex Choi was seen pressing a button labeled "fire missiles," after which a couple of women were taken aboard a helicopter to start firing fireworks at the car on the ground. The Lamborghini in question also had some Roman Candles attached to its back, creating a smoke trail effect.
As mentioned earlier, Alex could be facing up to 10 years in prison for the unauthorized use of explosives on an aircraft. Others on the scene have also claimed that there was no medical operatives were present during the filming process to prevent potential harm. No public statement has been offered by the YouTuber so far.
