A well-known YouTuber who produces content focused on architecture, sacred geometry, and artificial intelligence has accepted a plea deal in a New Hampshire case involving the serious injury of a police officer, ending a prosecution that initially included an attempted murder charge.
Erik Conover, who has nearly 3 million subscribers on YouTube, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of assault and reckless conduct stemming from a March 15 incident in Bartlett, New Hampshire, in which he struck a police officer with his Jeep during a traffic stop. He was sentenced Friday to a prison term of four to 10 years.
“This is not the outcome I hoped for, and it does not reflect the severity of what happened,” Bartlett Patrol Officer Cameron Emmett said in a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing, according to ABC affiliate WMUR. “A police officer being run down in the line of duty is not a minor incident.”
Conover, 36, told the court he regretted his actions and cited mental health issues at the time of the incident.
“I deeply regret my actions,” he said. “I was suffering from an acute bipolar manic episode that affected my judgment and decision-making.”
The plea agreement marked a significant change from Conover’s earlier comments at a March bail hearing, when he reportedly made aggressive and hostile statements toward law enforcement, according to The Conway Daily Sun.
Police said the incident began when Emmett was conducting a traffic stop and observed Conover speeding past in a 35-mile-per-hour zone at an estimated 55 to 60 miles per hour. Emmett pursued and eventually stopped Conover using his patrol vehicle.
According to testimony from Bartlett Police Sgt. Brian Moffitt, the situation escalated when Conover rapidly reversed his Jeep and struck Emmett as the officer exited his cruiser. The impact sent Emmett flying an estimated 20 to 40 feet. A drone operator in the area captured video of the incident, which later became key evidence.
Emmett told the court he was not seeking revenge, but accountability.
“The harm done was not temporary, and it was not minor,” he said. “My life was permanently altered.”
At the time of his arrest, Conover reportedly attempted to tell officers they had the wrong person and that he was not the individual they were seeking in connection with the crash.
Conover operates his YouTube channel under the name Eric Van Conover and is described in media reports as a luxury real estate broker and online entrepreneur. His channel description promotes concepts related to energy, consciousness, and “quantum design” in high-end homes.
Defense attorneys said Conover has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and believed the officer intended to harm him during the encounter. As part of the plea deal, Conover was ordered to undergo ongoing mental health treatment in addition to serving his prison sentence.