Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to fantasy football-related bomb, mass shooting threats
A Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty to making fake fantasy football-related bomb and mass shooting threats in Norway and Iowa, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In a news release, federal prosecutors said 25-year-old Matthew Gabriel pleaded guilty to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure. The incidents happened in August 2023 and March 2024.
Federal prosecutors said Gabriel and a member of his fantasy football league got into an argument in their group chat in August 2023. After learning his league-mate was headed to Norway to study abroad, Gabriel submitted an anonymous online tip to the Norwegian Police Security Service, claiming the member of his group chat was planning to carry out a mass shooting.
According to prosecutors, the false tip claimed a man was headed to Oslo to carry out a shooting at a concert and a department store on Aug. 15, 2023. Gabriel claimed his league-mate had multiple people involved and would be arriving in the country from the U.S. a few days before. Gabriel named his league-mate, provided his height and said he would have weapons on him.
"I don't know any more people then that, I just can't have random people dying on my conscience. he plans to arrive there unarmed spend a couple days normal and then execute the attack. please be ready," the tip read, according to prosecutors.
The tip led to a five-day investigation by law enforcement in Norway and the United States. During the investigation, Gabriel told the FBI he made the tip and that it was fake, according to prosecutors.
The second incident happened on March 22, 2024, when prosecutors said Gabriel sent a bomb threat to the University of Iowa.
Prosecutors said Gabriel emailed the university posing as someone else with the subject line "Possible threat." In the email, Gabriel provided a screenshot from his fantasy football group chat, saying, "Hello University of Iowa a man named [Victim 1] told me he was gonna blow up the school," according to the news release.
The email read, "Hello, I saw this in a group chat I'm in and just want to make sure everyone is safe and fine. I don't want anything bad to happen to any body. Thank you. A man named [PERSON 1] from I believe Nebraska sent this, and I want to make sure that it is a joke and no one will get hurt," according to the news release.
Prosecutors said Gabriel knew the victim was not going to carry out the threat and that it was "made in just by another member of the fantasy football group regarding Gabriel's prior threat."
"While already being prosecuted for one hoax threat spurred by, of all things, his fantasy football league, Matthew Gabriel inexplicably decided to send another," U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said in the news release. "His actions were extremely disruptive and consumed significant law enforcement resources on two continents, diverting them from actual incidents and investigations. Hoax threats aren't a joke or protected speech, they're a crime. My advice to keyboard warriors who'd like to avoid federal charges: always think of the potential consequences before you hit 'post' or 'send.'"
Gabriel faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment, prosecutors said.