Hunter
09/21/24
An online dispute with a fellow fantasy football player has led to the arrest and conviction of a Philadelphia man for sending false tips to law enforcement in Norway and to the University of Iowa.
The Gazette reports 25-year-old Matthew Gabriel pleaded guilty this week after prosecutors say he made false tips to police in the United States and overseas.
Gabriel reportedly had an online disagreement with a member of his fantasy football chat group. After learning that the man was going to study abroad in Norway in August 2023, he allegedly submitted a false tip to the Norweigen Police Security Service, claiming that the man was headed to Oslo to commit a mass shooting at a concert and a department store.
Law enforcement in Norway and the United States spent hundreds of hours investigating the false tip over a five day period.
While he was being prosecuted for that threat, Gabriel allegedly sent another email posing as another person to the University of Iowa in March of this year, including a screenshot from the fantasy football group with a message that stated, “Hello University of Iowa, a man told me he was gonna blow up the school.” He claimed that the sender was from Nebraska.
Authorities say Gabriel knew full well the person wasn’t going to blow up the University of Iowa and that the message was sent in jest, making fun of Gabriel’s previous actions.
A statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District Pennsylvania said Gabriel’s actions “were extremely disruptive and consumed significant law enforcement resources on two continents, diverting them from actual incidents and investigations.”
Attorney Jacqueline Romero added, “Hoax threats aren’t a joke or protected speech, they’re a crime.”
Gabriel pleaded guilty to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is set for Jan. 7.