A federal criminal complaint claims that Suk Min Choi, also known as Alex Choi, orchestrated a YouTube video last year in which two ladies in a helicopter threw fireworks at a Lamborghini sports car. Choi is now in custody, facing these allegations. Choi, 24, was taken into custody on June 5 and faces a single count of placing an incendiary device on an aircraft. Choi faces a potential penalty of ten years in federal prison if found guilty.
A lavish production worthy of a Michael Bay film, choreographed to the tune of Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA,” was the final result. The FAA also took action by revoking the pilot’s license, citing violations of flying at impermissible heights and the failure to show the helicopter’s ‘N’ number.
Last year, Choi recorded the act in the Mojave Desert to celebrate the Fourth of July. Although he has not yet been prosecuted, he appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. An affidavit attached to the lawsuit states that Choi uploaded a video titled “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks” to his YouTube account on July 4, 2023. Authorities in San Bernardino County are looking into the possibility that the footage was captured on the El Mirage Dry Lakebed. Federal officials accused him of buying illegal pyrotechnics in Nevada and failing to get the necessary permits to film a shoot involving helicopters and explosions.
Choi has removed the 11-minute video from his YouTube profile, even though it was available for months. If found guilty, Choi could face a federal jail sentence of up to ten years. The United States Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this issue. Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section Assistant US Attorney Dominique Caamano is leading the prosecution in this matter.
