EL MIRAGE, Calif. — Federal authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of a California man accused of directing a YouTube video in which two women in a helicopter repeatedly shot fireworks at a Lamborghini sports car in a remote area of San Bernardino County.
Suk Min Choi, 24, also known as “Alex Choi,” of Studio City, California was charged with one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, the Justice Department said in a news release. Choi was taken into custody Wednesday and is expected to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles.
According to a federal complaint, on July 4, 2023, Choi posted on his YouTube channel a video titled “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks.”
Authorities believe the video was recorded in June 2023, that Choi 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, according to the criminal complaint.
If convicted, Choi faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. His arraignment is expected in the coming weeks.