Who Is Alex Choi? The Fireworks Helicopter Stunt and Dropped Case

The Alex Choi helicopter stunt was a July 2023 YouTube video in which the Studio City creator directed a shoot on a California dry lakebed showing fireworks being fired from a helicopter at a moving Lamborghini. Federal prosecutors charged him in June 2024 with causing the placement of an explosive device on an aircraft. The charge was dismissed with prejudice in July 2025 after Choi completed a pretrial diversion program.¹

What Happened in the Video

In June 2023, Choi, whose legal name is Suk Min Choi, directed a video titled “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks” on the El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernardino County. The lakebed is federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.² The footage showed two women aboard a helicopter repeatedly firing fireworks at a Lamborghini speeding below. Choi appeared behind the wheel, pressing a button labeled “fire missiles,” and was also filmed holding a firework near the helicopter. The credits listed him as director.³

Choi posted the video to his YouTube channel on July 4, 2023.⁴ The channel had more than 900,000 subscribers at the time, with some outlets reporting over a million.³ Choi later removed the video from his social media accounts.⁵ According to prosecutors, he coordinated the entire production and drove to Las Vegas to buy the fireworks because they are illegal in California. Neither the FAA approval nor the BLM filming permits required for the shoot were obtained.⁶

The Federal Charge

An FAA inspector flagged the video in December 2023 and referred it to the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.⁷ On June 4, 2024, a federal criminal complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Choi was arrested the next day and released on a $50,000 appearance bond after surrendering his passport. He pleaded not guilty. The case, United States v. Choi, was assigned to Judge Andre Birotte Jr. and investigated by the DOT Office of Inspector General together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.⁸

The single count charged Choi with causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft under 18 U.S.C. § 32, a statute titled “Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.” It makes it a crime to willfully place a destructive device in, upon, or near an aircraft when the placement is likely to endanger the aircraft’s safety; the government does not have to prove actual damage.⁹ The complaint described a statutory maximum of ten years in prison for the charge against Choi.⁴

How the Case Ended

The case never went to trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office entered into a pretrial diversion agreement with Choi, a program that lets certain defendants avoid prosecution by completing conditions set by federal authorities. The specific terms of Choi’s agreement were not made public.¹

On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office confirmed Choi had met all conditions and removed him from supervision. On July 7, 2025, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Williams moved to dismiss the complaint with prejudice, which bars the government from refiling the same charge. The case was officially terminated on July 9, 2025.⁸ Choi was never convicted of any crime tied to the stunt, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not publicly explain why it offered diversion instead of pursuing a conviction.¹

What Happened to the Helicopter Pilot

The pilot was not charged criminally, but did face regulatory consequences. He initially told an FAA inspector he was unaware of the video, then later admitted Choi had been performing “unsafe activities involving cars and aircraft.” Radar data showed the helicopter’s transponder had been turned off during filming. In January 2024, the FAA issued an emergency order revoking his private pilot certification.⁷ No other participants in the video were named as defendants in Choi’s case.³

1
NBC Los Angeles. Charges Dropped for YouTuber in Stunt Video Showing Fireworks Launched at Lamborghini From Helicopter
2
Bureau of Land Management. El Mirage OHV Recreation Area
3
ABC News. YouTuber Alex Choi Charged in Fireworks Helicopter Lamborghini Stunt
4
U.S. Department of Justice. Studio City Man Arrested for Allegedly Causing Fireworks to Be Shot from Flight Helicopter in Video
5
New York Post. YouTuber Alex Choi Charged After Rigging Helicopter to Shoot Fireworks at Lamborghini
6
CNN. YouTuber Alex Choi Charged in Firework Lamborghini Helicopter Stunt
7
NBC News. YouTuber Charged in Stunt With Fireworks Shot at Lamborghini From Flying Helicopter
8
CourtListener. United States v. Choi
9
Cornell Law Institute. 18 U.S.C. § 32 – Destruction of Aircraft or Aircraft Facilities