A YouTuber who specializes in “car shenanigans” is facing federal charges after authorities said he directed a video in which two people in a helicopter shot fireworks from above at a speeding Lamborghini.
Alex Choi, 24, is charged with placing an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, the Justice Department announced Thursday. If convicted, Choi faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that Choi posted a video last July, made without a filming permit, titled “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks.” The video has since been deleted, but authorities say it shows Choi pressing a “fire rocket” button as two women aboard a helicopter shoot fireworks at the sports car as it races across a desert landscape.
Officials believe the video was taken on July 4, 2023, at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in rural San Bernardino County, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Choi did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to him by The Associated Press via Instagram or an email sent to his talent agency.
Choi, who has more than a million followers on Instagram and almost that number on YouTube, entertains his audience with what he calls “the biggest car shenanigans.” Other stunts of his include filming his passengers while accelerating rapidly and taking a Lamborghini through a gas station car wash.
A Justice Department spokesman said Choi appeared in court Thursday and a federal judge released him on $50,000 bail. His arraignment is scheduled for July 2. No plea was entered.
