A YouTuber, whose channel featured stunts and pranks, has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of flying without a pilot’s license and intentionally crashing his plane in California, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The 30-year-old YouTuber, whose real name is Anthony Perez, is known for his channel “Oshay Vlogs” which has over 700,000 subscribers. The channel features stunts, pranks, and other videos of Perez performing dangerous acts.
In October 2019, Perez crashed his single-engine Piper Cherokee plane into a federal wilderness area in San Bernardino County, California. The incident was recorded and later uploaded to his YouTube channel. Perez was injured in the crash but survived.
An investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that Perez did not have a pilot’s license at the time of the crash, and that he had intentionally crashed the plane for the purpose of creating a viral video.
The DOJ charged Perez with “flying without an airman certificate” and “intentionally acting in a careless or reckless manner while operating an aircraft.” Perez has agreed to plead guilty to the charges and is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
The incident has raised concerns about the dangers of YouTube stunts and the potential risks associated with attempting dangerous activities for the sake of creating content. In recent years, several YouTubers have been injured or killed while attempting dangerous stunts or pranks.
In response to the incident, the FAA has issued a statement urging YouTubers and other social media influencers to “act responsibly” and to “respect the safety of the public and themselves” when creating content.
The case also highlights the potential legal consequences of engaging in dangerous or illegal activities for the sake of creating viral content. YouTube and other social media platforms have faced criticism in the past for their role in promoting dangerous stunts and pranks, and for not doing enough to prevent users from engaging in risky behavior.
Overall, the incident involving Perez serves as a warning to YouTubers and other social media influencers that there are legal and personal risks associated with attempting dangerous stunts or engaging in illegal activities for the sake of creating viral content.