Prosecutors: Fantasy football dispute leads to fake bomb threat, international investigation and federal charges

CNN
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Witty quips and rival name-calling are commonplace in fantasy football leagues, but a Philadelphia man’s online dispute has sparked an international investigation and federal court charges after he falsely accused a fellow player of planning to commit violent attacks, prosecutors say.

Matthew Gabriel, 25, of Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to two counts of interstate and foreign threats after accusing prosecutors of giving false information to police in the United States and abroad claiming his rival was planning a bombing and mass shooting, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.

CNN has asked Gabriel’s lawyer for comment.

Gabriel made the first false threat after an online argument with a member of his fantasy football chat group, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

After learning that the member would be studying in Norway in August 2023, Gabriel gave an anonymous “tip” to the Norwegian Police Security Service – which investigates threats to the country’s national security – claiming that the man was planning to commit mass murder in Norway, the press release said.

Gabriel wrote that the fantasy football colleague “was out and about in Oslo and planned a shooting involving several people on his side. They plan to take out as many people as possible at a concert and then go to a department store,” according to the prosecutor.

Law enforcement officials in Norway and the U.S. devoted five days and hundreds of hours to investigating the threat, prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gabriel eventually admitted in an interview with the FBI that he had made the false tip-off.

During the investigation into Gabriel in connection with the international hoax in Norway, prosecutors learned that Gabriel had sent another fabricated threat via email earlier this year – this time to the University of Iowa.

In March, Gabriel sent an email to the university saying the same member of the fantasy football group had threatened to “blow up the school.” Gabriel knew this was not true, prosecutors said.

“While already charged with a fake threat instigated by his fantasy football league, of all things, Matthew Gabriel inexplicably decided to send another one,” said Jacqueline Romero, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “His actions were extremely disruptive and consumed significant law enforcement resources on two continents, diverting them from actual incidents and investigations.”

According to court records, Gabriel was released on $25,000 bail on Tuesday and is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Romero warned in her statement that fake threats were a crime.

“My advice to keyboard warriors who want to avoid federal prosecution: Always think about the potential consequences before you hit ‘send’ or ‘post,'” she said.