Bickering within your fantasy football league group chat is typical, especially if your competition stole quarterback Patrick Mahomes from your planned team — or if another member took the trash-talking about your big loss last week a bit too far.
But, federal prosecutors say one man took it a bit too far, involving international authorities and taking the online arguments to a criminally violent level.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced that Matthew Gabriel pleaded guilty to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure related to his actions after an online disagreement with a member of his fantasy football group chat, whom he falsely accused of intending to carry out violent crimes.
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According to his plea agreement, Gabriel had submitted an anonymous online "tip" to the Norwegian Police Security Service on Aug. 3, 2023, after learning that the member he fought with was going to study abroad in the country. His "tip" claimed the man and multiple co-conspirators planned to "take as many as they can" in a mass shooting at a concert and a department store in Oslo on Aug. 15.
"I just can't have random people dying on my conscience," the tip continued. "He plans to arrive there unarmed, spend a couple days normally, and then execute the attack. Please be ready. He is around a 5 foot 7, red head, coming from America, on the 10th or 11th, I believe. He should have weapons with him. Please be careful."
Norwegian and U.S. law enforcement spent "hundreds of man-hours" investigating Gabriel's threat over five days before he eventually admitted to the FBI that the tip was false, the U.S. attorney's office said.
While he was investigated for the first tip, prosecutors say Gabriel submitted a second — this time in an email he sent to the University of Iowa on March 22 with the subject line "Possible Threat."
Authorities say Gabriel, posing as another person, wrote in the email that the same member of his fantasy football group chat was planning to "blow up the school."
He included a screenshot of a message from the group and in the text said that he just wanted "to make sure everyone is safe and fine."
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"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, the defendant transmitted the email knowing that the University of Iowa would view it as a true threat," prosecutors said.
"While already being prosecuted for one hoax threat spurred by, of all things, his fantasy football league, Matthew 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.'"
Court records state Gabriel was released on a $25,000 bond. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing heading was scheduled for January, Romero's office said.
