Staging a plane crash to get views, this YouTuber faces 20 years in prison

On May 11, the US announced that a YouTuber was facing 20 years in prison for making false statements and obstructing authorities’ investigation efforts.

Trevor Jacob, a content creator on the video sharing platform YouTube, posted the video with the title “I crashed a plane”. The image in the video shows the small plane this person used appears to have problems while operating in southern California in November 2021. It is thanks to the drama that this video now has up to 3 million views.

After escaping the plane with a prepared parachute, Jacob continued to document his journey through the forest before finding a rescuer. However, the lie did not get through.

Weeks after the incident, investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation into the crash. Authorities asked Jacob to preserve the plane’s body, but this person said he did not know where the plane crashed.

But that’s not the case. Two weeks after the video was captured, Jacob and a friend used a helicopter to remove the wreckage from the woods before shredding and destroying it. This is what makes things worse.

In the plea agreement, Jacob admitted to intentionally obstructing the federal agency’s investigation after lying to investigators. In the US, these charges can carry up to 20 years in prison. However, a plea agreement can limit the consequences to some extent.

Jacob’s trial is expected to take place in the next few weeks in Los Angeles. Although it is not known what sentence Jacob will face, cheating to get views will have very serious consequences.

Reference: Washington Post