Alex Choi has been charged with 'causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft
YouTuber Alex Choi was arrested for a stunt video showing people shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini from a helicopter. He was reportedly taken into custody on a federal criminal complaint, alleging that he directed the entire stunt.
According to a statement by the US attorney's office for the Central District of California, Choi directed the video in which two women are seen shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini. The department added that the affidavit stated the aircraft was also seen flying near the ground without filming permits.
Choi posted the video "Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks" July 4, 2023 on YouTube. The video has now been deleted from all of his social media platforms.
The Daily Mail shared a part of the video on Instagram with a caption describing the incident.
"YouTuber Alex Choi was arrested over a stunt which saw him filming an arsenal of fireworks being shot at a $300,000 Lamborghini from a helicopter. Now the 24-year-old, who is known for his car-related stunts, has been charged with 'causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft,' and is facing 10 years in prison," the outlet wrote.
The statement added that law enforcement believes that Choi "did not have a permit to film a shoot using fireworks on a helicopter, and that he purchased the fireworks in Nevada because they were illegal in California." If convicted, he stands to face "a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison."
Since being shared some seven hours ago, the video has accumulated nearly 240,000 views. The share has further collected more than 7,000 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the share.
"He won’t get convicted because his intent was not malice. He will get a large fine and that’s about it," wrote an Instagram user. "This is going to bring him some likes," joked another.
"Is it illegal to have fun in a controlled environment?" questioned a third. "Anything for clout," posted a fourth.
The video shared by Choi appeared to be a "live-action version of a fictionalised video game scene," cited the statement by the US attorney's office for the Central District of California.
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