A 25-year-old Philadelphia man found himself in hot water after taking a fantasy football feud to extreme measures, ultimately pleading guilty to federal felony charges. Matthew Gabriel confessed to sending two false tips to authorities in Norway and Iowa, accusing a fellow fantasy league member of planning a mass shooting in Norway and a bombing at the University of Iowa.
The origin of the feud remains undisclosed, but Gabriel’s actions were certainly drastic. He initially sent an anonymous tip to the Norwegian Police Security Service on August 3, 2023, claiming that a member of their fantasy football group, who was studying abroad in Norway, was plotting an attack upon his arrival in the country. Gabriel provided a detailed description of the individual and falsely stated that multiple people were involved in the plan to target a concert and a department store.
The elaborate ruse prompted a swift response from authorities, resulting in over 900 investigative hours being devoted to the case. Gabriel eventually confessed to the FBI that he had fabricated the tip. Despite facing federal charges for his initial false report, Gabriel inexplicably sent another email in March, this time to the University of Iowa, posing as someone else and alleging a similar threat.
In this second email, Gabriel referenced a message from the fantasy football group chat, claiming that a man named [Victim 1] had threatened to blow up the school. Prosecutors revealed that Gabriel knew the threat was baseless and intended it as a joke, referencing his previous hoax. United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero condemned Gabriel’s actions, emphasizing the serious consequences of making hoax threats.
As part of a plea deal, Gabriel is likely to receive a sentence of 15 months of house arrest and three years of probation, sparing him from incarceration. His attorney characterized the incidents as “practical jokes” that went too far, expressing gratitude for the lenient outcome. Despite the attorney’s attempts to downplay the severity of Gabriel’s actions, the consequences of his behavior were far-reaching, consuming significant law enforcement resources and disrupting operations on two continents.
In conclusion, Gabriel’s fantasy football feud spiraled into a legal ordeal with real-world implications. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of irresponsible behavior, highlighting the importance of thinking before acting, especially in the age of online communication.
