YouTuber Alex Choi arrested for fireworks destroying Lamborghini video

San Fernando Valley resident Suk Min Choi, aka YouTube creator Alex Choi, has been arrested in connection with a federal criminal complaint alleging he made a YouTube video in which two women in a helicopter were shooting repeatedly fired fireworks at a Lamborghini sports car last year, federal authorities said.

Choi was arrested June 5 and charged with “causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device in an aircraft,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. If convicted, Choi would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Representatives for Choi at his management company, Underscore Talent, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Choi's YouTube channel, which features videos of the “greatest automotive shenanigans,” has 924,000 subscribers. The video for which federal authorities arrested him, “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks,” is no longer available on YouTube.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Choi posted the video “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks” on his channel on July 4, 2023. In the video, Choi allegedly pressed a “fire missiles” button while two women are in a helicopter, shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini at high speed. Law enforcement officials believe the video was filmed on the bed of El Mirage Dry Lake in San Bernardino County, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

After the opening sequence of the fireworks going off the Lamborghini, the 10-minute, 45-second video showed a behind-the-scenes look at how Choi shot the first part of the video. According to federal authorities, Choi made various references to himself coordinating the filming and directing the video. In other parts of the video, Choi was shown next to the helicopter, holding what appears to be fireworks, according to the affidavit. Additionally, in the video, Choi thanked a camera company for “being a part of my crazy, stupid ideas.” He also reportedly said in the video that the group that helped make the video “[expletive] “at some point,” “because I forgot to tell my friend how to use a flashlight,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Choi made his initial appearance Thursday in U.S. Court for the Central District of California and was released on $50,000 bail, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Choi's arraignment is scheduled for July 2.

Law enforcement officials said they believe Choi committed the offense in June 2023. Federal authorities allege he 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. The U.S. Attorney's Office noted that a “complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”