Why Is Vitaly in Jail? The Prankster Is Locked up in the Philippines

It seems YouTuber and prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy has racked up almost as many arrests as he has pranks. The man’s been arrested so many times for his over-the-top stunts, they’re starting to feel more like parking tickets.

While most of his run-ins with the law over the past decade haven’t led to much more than headlines and short-term consequences, a 2025 arrest in the Philippines might be his most serious yet. And if convicted, Vitaly could be looking at more than just a few days behind bars. If you know anything about Vitaly, you're probably already asking yourself, "What did he do this time?" Well … it's pretty serious.

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy was arrested on April 3, 2025, at a hotel in Pasay City, Philippines, on charges of harassment and theft, all thanks to a string of live-streamed pranks gone way too far, per Philstar.

When Vitaly returned to the internet in 2025 (after his last round of stunts failed to land), he reemerged in a new setting — the Philippines — with his same obnoxious energy. But this time, his "pranks" really came off more like crimes.

In a viral compilation posted by Instagrammer @raywilliamjohnson, Vitaly is seen harassing locals in public. In one clip, he approaches a woman and tells her he’s going to rob her, only to then claim he’s joking and offer her money. He follows it up by insulting her for wearing a mask in public.

In another video, he walks into the back of a fast-food restaurant to bother the workers. Then there's the time he jumped on a guard’s motorcycle and scooted away Flintstones-style, pedaling with his feet. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s later seen in a mall grabbing a light therapy mask and sarcastically saying, "Oh no, I’m going to be arrested — oh no, mommy." We should point out: Vitaly is 33 years old.

While his antics were being watched by plenty of people, some of whom even donated, @raywilliamjohnson pointed out that among the viewers were officers from the Philippine police. Yikes! In fact, his shenanigans were so over the top, even the president of the Philippines caught wind of them.

Vitaly was later taken into police custody, and while his behavior has certainly gotten plenty of people’s blood boiling, what's strange is that in a video shared on March 31, 2025, he can be seen purchasing and handing out PS5s, cell phones, money, and even clothes to locals in the Philippines. So, he harassed some and provided for others?

Instead of being deported immediately, Vitaly will remain in the Philippines, where he faces criminal charges for theft and harassment. In an April 7 press conference, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated, per Philstar, that Vitaly "will remain there for now in the Bureau of Immigration detention facility in Muntinlupa while he awaits his trial here. We will not deport him. He will be held accountable under the law here in the Philippines."

Some of his other alleged crimes include "unjust vexation, alarm, and scandal." Remulla added, "The time when foreigners could just disrespect Filipinos is over. This is an example that we are serious, in our own country. We will not let them belittle us." While it's unclear what the consequences for these crimes may be, it seems that this time, everyone is fed up with Vitaly.