A YouTuber’s insatiable thirst for views has landed him in hot water, as he faces charges for lying about intentionally crashing a plane.
Trevor Jacob, known for sharing his adventures and life lessons with his 138,000 subscribers, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The stunt, which was part of a sponsorship deal for a company that sells wallets, was titled “I Crashed My Airplane,” and was uploaded to Jacob’s channel on Christmas Eve 2021.
The 13-minute video shows him flying a small aircraft equipped with multiple cameras, which appears to suffer a mechanical failure over California’s Los Padres National Forest.
Jacob jumps out and deploys a parachute, while the plane crashes, unmanned.
However, it turns out that the crash was not an accident, but a deliberate act planned to generate views and revenue.
Jacob had packed a parachute and a selfie stick, and had allegedly planned all along to film himself jumping from the plane and get footage of the crash.
He then went to great lengths to cover up the truth, lying to investigators and even destroying the wreckage.
The consequences for Jacob are severe, as he faces a maximum sentence of about 20 years in prison for his crime.
In addition, his pilot license has been revoked, putting an end to his aerial adventures.