Authorities arrested a YouTuber who made a video of himself shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini from a helicopter on federal land in San Bernardino, California. According to Thursday's announcement, prosecutors charged 24-year-old Suk Min Choi, aka Alex Choi, with one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.
Choi runs the channel Alex Choi, which publishes videos showing off and doing stunts with sports cars. Prosecutors say he committed his crimes while filming a video entitled "Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks" sometime in June 2023 at El Mirage Dry Lakebed. On its website, the Bureau of Land Management lists El Mirage as an area for off-highway vehicles, or OHVs.
Choi's criminal complaint
According to court documents, the case was investigated by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General's Office. Although Choi published the video on July 4, 2023, the investigation began around May 2024, when the investigating agent saw the video.
Prosecutors say Alex Choi credited himself multiple times in the video. Credit: DOJ
The complaint says that the video has been removed from YouTube and other social media channels. However, investigators forensically saved a copy. Investigators say the video shows Choi press a button marked "fire missiles" while two women in a helicopter shoot fireworks at the sports car. The video also shows various scenes of people lighting fireworks, admitting to lighting fireworks, and identifying themselves.
Investigators say they also obtained emails and text messages in which Choi outlined his plans. He discussed topics such as logistics and the price of materials for the shoot. He even said he would buy fireworks in Nevada because they were illegal in California.
Additionally, the complaint references other investigations into the video by the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators say that the pilot who flew the helicopter had lost his license because of another incident. In that one, people also fired fireworks from a plane at El Mirage.
