Why is Trevor Daniel Jacob facing 20 years in prison? All about the YouTuber who crashed his plane for views

Trevor Daniel Jacob is an adventurer YouTuber who is currently facing up to 20 years in prison for his controversial shenanigans. The catalyst for the incident can be traced back to a video he uploaded on December 24, 2021, in which he jumped out of an in-flight airplane and deliberately crashed it. Following an investigation, authorities disclosed that Trevor Daniel Jacob admitted to crashing the plane for views.

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Looking at Trevor Daniel Jacob's online career as he admits to obstructing federal investigation, faces upto 20 years in prison

Trevor Daniel Jacob's primary YouTube account, TrevorJacob, has over 142,000 subscribers. He joined the platform in November 2008 and has since uploaded 27 videos. His content ranges from him fighting in the professional MMA leagues to train-hopping and skateboarding across America.

However, one video in particular, in which he jumped out of a plane, has become the channel's highlight. The 12-minute feature titled, I Crashed My Airplane, has received more than 4.2 million views since its upload. As the title suggests, the content creator destroyed an aircraft and abandoned the wreckage in a forest habitat. Here's how the plane looked after it crashed:

On May 11, 2023, the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California issued a press release, announcing that Trevor Daniel Jacob had pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation after intentionally crashing the plane. An excerpt from the statement reads:

"Trevor Daniel Jacob, 29, of Lompoc, agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A plea agreement and a one-count information charging Jacob were filed Wednesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles. He is expected to make his initial court appearance in the coming weeks."

According to the reports, Trevor Daniel Jacob was flying above the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria. The plane eventually crashed into a "dry bush area." Further, it was revealed that the YouTuber lied to investigators about the location of the wreckage, despite the fact that he and a friend flew to the site by helicopter on December 10, 2021:

"In the weeks following the plane crash, Jacob lied to investigators that he did not know the wreckage’s location, according to the plea agreement. In fact, on December 10, 2021, Jacob and a friend flew by helicopter to the wreckage site. There, Jacob used straps to secure the wreckage, which the helicopter lifted and carried to Rancho Sisquoc in Santa Barbara County, where it was loaded onto a trailer attached to Jacob’s pickup truck."

In the concluding section of the press release, the DOJ mentioned that Trevor Daniel Jacob said that he uploaded the video with the sole intention of making money:

"Jacob uploaded a YouTube video titled, “I Crashed My Airplane,” that contained a promotion of the wallet and depicting him parachuting from the plane and the aircraft’s subsequent crash. Jacob admitted in his plea agreement that he intended to make money through the video."

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What the online community has to say about Trevor Daniel Jacob's shenanigans

The YouTube comments section now features over 12,766 responses, and here's a snapshot of some notable ones:

One viewer joked about jumping out of an airplane only to "land in jail." Meanwhile, another community member stated that having a pilot's license is not simply a "privilege," but also a badge of responsibility.