Johnny Somali Faces 12 Years In Prison. Here's Why

No one is surprised when streamers do horrifically dangerous things for attention, but it's always shocking to see someone get themselves into serious legal trouble just for the views. IRL streamer Ramsey Khalid Ismael, a.k.a. Johnny Somali, has been arrested for his hijinks again, and this time he could be facing down at least decade in prison in South Korea. This isn't the first time that Somali has faced serious legal trouble. Ismael is a Kick and Rumble streamer who has essentially built his brand on being a public nuisance. Back in 2023, he was arrested multiple times in Japan for breaking into a construction site and loudly playing music and yelling at people in a restaurant. Those arrests led to Somali being deported, but he could be facing much more serious consequences for his latest content spree.

Somali was initially arrested in South Korea for similar reasons to his arrest in Japan. He caused a commotion in a convenience store after employees denied him alcohol and allegedly responded violently when the employees asked him to leave. Since then, authorities have barred Somali from leaving the country and launched an investigation into his potential drug use, which South Korea takes extremely seriously. If Somali gets charged with drug abuse, the penalty could be up to 10 years in prison. And that's not the only charge he's possibly facing.

The legal issues kicked off pretty much from the moment Johnny Somali's trip to South Korea began. He deeply offended people when he kissed and twerked on the Statue of Peace, a national monument meant to recognize women who were forced into sex slavery during the Japanese occupation of South Korea during World War II. Locals immediately called for Ismael to be forced out of the country, and some members of South Korea's parliament even expressed concerns about his actions, saying they intended to keep an eye on his future activities. Some took their outrage one step further.

Kick Streamer Johnny Somali gets Beat up in Korea by a Korean Youtuber😳🫣

"Hey Boy, are you crazy Boy" pic.twitter.com/QN573U5Lhs

— Charging... (@RedPillSayian) October 31, 2024

In a harrowing livestream moment, a South Korean streamer decided to attack Johnny Somali in the street. Police quickly intervened, but there are other people who are hoping for a chance to fight Johnny again. One Korean YouTuber reportedly put a $770 bounty on Somali, asking viewers to provide him with Ismael's whereabouts. Ironically, Ismael's arrest might be protecting him from getting beat up or stalked by other streamers, but combined convictions on assault and drug charges could mean up to 12 years in jail or nearly $80,000 in fines. 

Johnny Somali claims to feel serious regret about this entire situation. The streamer went so far as to make a public apology for his actions, saying, "I made a mistake, and I think when you make a mistake in life, you need to own up to it. So, I apologize, and I will no longer talk about your statue or touch it ever again." Some onlookers have expressed skepticism about that apology, especially since Ismael went on to try and spin his stunt as a positive, explaining that many people learned about the Statue of Peace because of what he did.

Whether or not the general public accepts his apology, his legal trouble is only just beginning. Johnny Somali is unable to leave South Korea while police continue investigating the allegations against him. Even if Somali can dodge the charges related to the convenience store confrontation and the alleged drug possession, a different criminal case waits in the wings. As another bit of outrage bait for his stream, Ismael used AI to deepfake a video of himself kissing Korean IRL streamer bongbong, resulting in her pressing charges. Though bongbong later decided to drop the charges, the South Korean government is legally allowed to pursue the case anyway. In that instance, Johnny Somali could be facing up to an additional seven years in prison.