After His Criminal Sentencing for YouTube Stunt,  Olympic Snowboarder Thanks “Incredible Lawyer” Partner Keri Curtis Axel

Partner Keri Curtis Axel’s client YouTuber and former U.S. Olympian snowboarder Trevor Jacob praised his “incredible lawyer” as he was spared the 12-month prison term sought by federal prosecutors and instead was sentenced to six months after he crashed his plane in a YouTube stunt and obstructed a federal investigation into the crash in Los Padres National Forest in 2021. The December 4, 2023 sentencing was reported in multiple outlets, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CNN, and The Washington Post.

Prosecutors recommended a 12-month prison sentence. Responding to Axel’s arguments and Jacob’s support letters, U.S. District Judge John F. Walter found that Jacob’s regret was sincere and ordered a sentence of 6 months in prison. “It’s hard to reconcile his law-abiding life with the incredibly poor decisions he made,” Judge Walter said.

A former federal prosecutor, Alex said, “Trevor is taking full responsibility for his mistake in judgment; he hopes to move past it and to use his status as a world-class action sports athlete, entrepreneur and influencer, to be a source of good for society.”

In a statement, Jacob said, “This was a massive learning experience. I’m grateful for the support system I have around me. Especially my incredible lawyer. This would have been a much worse outcome without her.” Judge Walter said that Jacob acted with the intention of creating a video for his YouTube so that he could “gain notoriety and make money.”

Jacob pled guilty earlier this year 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. On Monday, Jacob told the judge that he wanted to again compete for a place on the U.S. Olympic team.