Alan and Alex Stokes, twin Youtubers, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to carrying out fake bank robbery pranks.
In Irvine, California, the twins, both 23, appeared in court and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor false imprisonment and filing false emergencies. They staged a fake bank robbery in October 2019 that resulted in police holding an Uber driver at gunpoint, and they attempted to film the robbery twice for their YouTube channel. According to KTLA, the then-21-year-olds wore all black clothing and wore ski masks while carrying bags containing cash. The brothers and their videographer got into an Uber after the “robbery,” but the driver refused to leave the bank’s place.
Witnesses called authorities, believing the men were attempting to carjack the Uber driver, according to prosecutors. The innocent driver was held at gunpoint by police when they arrived on the scene, but he was later released when it was discovered that he was not involved in the stunt.
Four hours later, the twins resumed their shenanigans at UC Irvine, causing police to respond to yet another bank robbery. They posted the video to their YouTube channel, but it has since been taken down. The brothers face five years in prison if convicted, and the guilty plea was in lieu of the felony charge that had been levied against them in return for a misdemeanor.
