California YouTuber and former Olympic snowboarder Trevor Daniel Jacob was sentenced to six months in federal prison after staging an airplane crash for a sponsored video.
YouTuber Allegedly Lies on Crash Investigation
In November 2021, Jacob took a solo flight in Santa Barbara County, California. He parachuted out of the plane holding his video camera and selfie stick. He hiked to the crash site in Los Padres National Forest after landing.
The former Olympian took two days before he reported the wreck to the Nationa Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The investigation required Jacob to preserve the plane wreckage for the agency and while he allegedly informed them of the location, he did lied multiple times when questioned.
By December 2021, Jacob and his friend went back to the crash site to bring the remains back to Santa Maria, California. In the same month, the YouTuber published the footage online from the cameras he put inside the crashed plane and his camera when he parachuted.
YouTuber Intentionally Crashes for Sponsor, Views
Reports showed that Jacob filmed the airplane stunt to promote a wallet from a company that sponsored him. The federal prosecutors stated that the YouTuber did the offense to gain social media news and news coverage and eventually financially benefit from the crash.
He has pled guilty to the destruction and concealment of a tangible object with intent to obstruct a federal investigation. "Nevertheless, this type of 'daredevil' conduct cannot be tolerated," the California prosecutors added.
Now facing six months in federal prison, Jacob stated that "this experience has been so humbling" and that sees his sentence as the "right decision."
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