YouTube “Trollstation” pranksters thrown in jail
Four members of a popular yet controversial YouTube channel known for public pranks have been sentenced to jail after pulling a fake robbery heist at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The YouTube channel Trollstation has over the years accrued well over 700,000 subscribers and is one of the most watched prank channels on the video sharing website. They often referred to their pranks as “social experiments”, which many argued was just a weak justification for pulling all types of daring pranks on the general public.
Earlier this year another Trollstation member ended up in jail for pulling off a bomb prank where he handed unsuspecting members of the public a fake bomb disguised as a suitcase and then running away.
And a few months ago the prank collective staged a fake heist at the National Portrait Gallery in London where they adorned themselves with head scarves and ran into the museum shouting, which resulted in the museum being partly evacuated as panicked people fled through the exits.
Sponsored Content. Continued below...
Members of the Trollstation group claimed that it was a “good idea on paper”. We’re not so sure we agree.
Daniel Jarvis, 27, Helder Gomes, 23, Endrit Ferizolli, 20, and Ebenezer Mensah, 29 were sentenced on Monday at the City of London Magistrate’s Court.
For the charge at the National Portrait Gallery, Mr Jarvis was sentenced to 20 weeks, Mr Mensah and Mr Gomes to 18 weeks each, and Mr Ferizolli to 16 weeks. All four were also sentenced to 8 weeks for a fake kidnapping at Tate Britain, though these will run concurrently with their other sentence.
All members pleaded guilty.
Members of the public run after the fake National Portrait Gallery heist
Other pranks pulled by the group include throwing “dismembered body parts” at members of the public as well as a fake fight between a member and another member dressed up as the Queen’s Guard outside Buckingham Palace.
It’s a reminder to all those budding pranksters out there looking to be the next big thing on YouTube – just because it’s being done as a prank, it doesn’t mean you’re not breaking the law. YouTube pranks or “social experiments” do not make you immune to the law.
The notorious Jalal Brothers who famously threw fake bombs at people while dressed in typical Arabic clothing were also arrested in Australia this year.
Continued below...
Thanks for reading, we hope this article helped, but before you leave us for greener pastures, please help us out.
We're hoping to be totally ad-free by 2025 - after all, no one likes online adverts, and all they do is get in the way and slow everything down. But of course we still have fees and costs to pay, so please, please consider becoming a Facebook supporter! It costs only 0.99p (~$1.30) a month (you can stop at any time) and ensures we can still keep posting Cybersecurity themed content to help keep our communities safe and scam-free. You can subscribe here
Remember, we're active on social media - so follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram and X