A San Fernando Valley man has been arrested for allegedly directing a video in which fireworks were fired from an in-flight helicopter at a car for a YouTube video, federal prosecutors said.
Suk Min Choi, 24, also known as Alex Choi, is charged with one count of placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, a federal charge carrying a possible sentence of up to 10 years behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Studio City resident was arrested Wednesday.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on July 4 Choi posted on his YouTube channel an 11-minute video, “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks.” In the video, Choi allegedly presses a “fire missiles” button, shooting fireworks at a speeding Lamborghini sports car.
Law enforcement said it believes the video was shot on the El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernardino County.
After shooting what appears to be a live-action version of a scene from a fictional video game, the video transitions to a behind-the-scenes look at how Choi shot the first third of the video. During this portion of the video, Choi allegedly makes various references to himself as coordinating the shoot.
In the video, Choi thanks a camera company for “being a part of my crazy, stupid ideas.” He also allegedly said in the video that the group that helped make the video messed up at one point “because I forgot to tell my friend how to use a torch,” according to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court.
Two women were in the helicopter when the fireworks were fired, federal officials said. In the video, Choi is seen next to the helicopter, holding what appears to be a firework, according to the affidavit.
Choi committed the offense sometime in June 2023, did not have a permit to film a shoot using fireworks on a helicopter, and purchased the fireworks in Nevada because they were illegal in California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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