A YouTuber who hoped to get millions of likes for a special 4th of July video is now facing federal charges due to the dangerous nature of the stunt he staged.
Alex Choi (real name Suk Min Choi), a YouTuber with over 900,000 subscribers, shot a video stunt in June 2023 involving two women shooting fireworks at a moving Lamborghini out of a helicopter.
The video, entitled ‘Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks’, was published and shared on July 4, 2023, but has since been removed from Choi’s social media channels.
A snippet from the video can still be found on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, showing two women launching fireworks from a helicopter, aimed at a speeding Lamborghini in the Mojave Desert.
Choi was arrested on June 5, 2024, almost a year after he shot and orchestrated the reckless high-production stunt.
The criminal complaint lodged by the US Department of Transportation in the central district of California states that Choi’s arrest warrant was for “causing the placement of explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft”.
Even though Choi was not the subject of the video, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage show that he directed the stunts and action shots in the video. Moreover, the video clip featured a ‘directed by Alex Choi’ credit in the outro.
Aside from Choi’s arrest and federal charges, the complaint also stated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked the helicopter pilot’s license for the following reasons:
- operating the helicopter less than 500 feet from people and a moving car on the ground,
- operating the helicopter at less than the minimum altitudes prescribed in 14 C.F.R. 91.119, creating a hazard to persons and property on the surface
- not displaying the helicopter’s “N” number
- creating a hazard to persons or property by allowing the fireworks to be launched at a moving passenger-carrying vehicle
- and operating the helicopter in a manner that was careless or reckless so as to endanger the life or property of another.
Choi appeared in court for the first time on June 6, 2024 and was released on a $50,000 bond. He did not enter a plea, and his arraignment is scheduled for July 2, 2024.
According to prosecutors, if convicted as charged, Choi could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.