A Philadelphia man participating in a fantasy football league took playin in the league way to far two years ago and he now faces spending up to five years in federal prison as he entered guilty pleas to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure federal investigators announced earlier this month.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said Matthew Gabriel, 25, of Philadelphia entered his guilty pleaa before United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage on September 18.
According to the guilty plea agreement, Gabriel had an online disagreement with a member of his fantasy football chat group. Gabriel discovered the member with whom he the argument with was going to study abroad in Norway in August of 2023. On August 3, 2023, Gabriel, while located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, submitted an anonymous “tip” through the internet to the Norwegian Police Security Service, also known as Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste (“PST”), claiming that a member of his fantasy football chat group was going to carry out a mass shooting in Norway:
“On August 15th a man named [Victim 1] is headed around oslo and has a shooting planned with multiple people on his side involved. they plan to take as many as they can at a concert and then head to a department store. 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. he is around a 5 foot 7 read head coming from America, on the 10th or 11th I believe. he should have weapons with him. please be careful” the threat said.
Law enforcement in Norway and the United States spent hundreds of man-hours reacting to and investigating the threatened mass shooting over the course of a five-day period. When interviewed by the FBI, Gabriel admitted that he had submitted the “tip” to the PST and that the tip was false.
Then, on March 22, 2024, Gabriel again while located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, sent an email posing as another individual to the University of Iowa with the subject line “Possible Threat.” The email said
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.
The email then contained a screenshot from the fantasy football league of a message that said “Hello University of Iowa a man named [Victim 1] told me he was gonna blow up the school.”
Gabriel knew that the victim was not going to blow up the university and that the message had been sent in jest by another member of the fantasy football group regarding Gabriel’s prior threat. Despite knowing that there was no actual threat to the University of Iowa, Gabriel sent the email knowing that the University of Iowa would view it as a real threat.
“While already being prosecuted for one hoax threat spurred by, of all things, his fantasy football league, Gabriel inexplicably decided to send another,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “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.’”
“You do not get to express emotions through violence or threats of violence,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We thank our international partners for their assistance in bringing together this case. The FBI will continue to work alongside partners at all levels to protect our community.”
Gabriel faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Bateman. Substantial assistance was provided by the Norwegian Police Security Service, also known as Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste.
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