(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – Another troubling scandal erupts at the University of Michigan as former coach Matt Weiss has been indicted over 24 federal charges for a massive cybercrime operation targeting female athletes.
The shocking indictment reveals Weiss allegedly stole personal data, private photos, and videos from over 150,000 student-athletes while employed by one of America’s most prestigious public universities.
Federal prosecutors have indicted former Michigan football quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator on multiple counts of unauthorized computer access and aggravated identity theft.
The charges follow a lengthy investigation by the FBI Detroit Cyber Task Force and the University of Michigan Police Department into what appears to have been a massive violation of student privacy that lasted nearly eight years.
According to the indictment, Weiss systematically accessed student-athlete databases from more than 100 colleges and universities between 2015 and January 2023.
The scope of the alleged criminal operation is staggering – downloading personal and medical data of over 150,000 athletes, with a specific focus on female students.
The accusations detail how Weiss initially targeted individuals with elevated access privileges, such as trainers and athletic directors, to obtain confidential information and student passwords.
He then allegedly used this information to access the social media accounts, emails, and cloud storage of more than 2,000 athletes and 1,300 students or alumni without their knowledge or consent.
Most disturbing are allegations that Weiss maintained detailed notes on his victims, commenting on their bodies and sexual preferences while downloading private, intimate photographs and videos never intended for public viewing.
“His goal was to obtain private photographs and videos never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners,” the federal indictment stated.
The fact that Weiss could allegedly conduct such an extensive hacking operation while serving as a high-profile coach at one of America’s top public universities raises serious questions about oversight and security measures within college athletic departments across the country.
Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck emphasized the government’s commitment to prosecuting these crimes:
“Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens. We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.”
Furthermore, Michigan officials have remained conspicuously silent on the scandal.
When contacted, Michigan football spokesman Dave Ablauf simply stated, “I would refer you to the FBI regarding this case,” declining to comment on how such extensive privacy violations could have occurred under the university’s watch.
Weiss was fired from his position in January 2023, just two days after a Michigan employee reported unauthorized access to university email accounts.
Prior to his dismissal, he had enjoyed a long career working alongside the Harbaugh family at Stanford, the Baltimore Ravens, and Michigan, where he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2022.
If convicted, Weiss faces up to five years in prison for unauthorized computer access and two years for aggravated identity theft, with mandatory minimum sentences.
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