Former Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss has been indicted by a federal court in Detroit on Thursday, facing charges of computer hacking and aggravated identity theft, according to officials.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a news release that their investigation, conducted with the FBI, revealed Weiss gained access to student-athlete databases from over 100 colleges and universities. He is accused of downloading personal and medical information of more than 150,000 athletes between 2015 and January 2023.
The 15-page indictment, obtained by The Ann Arbor News/MLive, alleges Weiss primarily targeted female college athletes. The indictment states his selections were “based on their school affiliation, athletic history, and physical characteristics.”
These databases were maintained by Keffer Development Services, a Pennsylvania-based software company, according to the DOJ. Weiss allegedly obtained access by compromising passwords of accounts with high-level access, such as those belonging to trainers and athletic directors.
University of Michigan police initiated an investigation into Weiss in December 2022 after discovering he had “inappropriately accessed” computer accounts from the football team’s offices. Weiss was placed on leave in January 2023 and subsequently fired due to mounting evidence and a failure to cooperate with the investigation.
Federal officials report that Weiss, 42, had access to the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of over 2,000 athletes. He “illegally obtained access” to accounts of more than 1,300 other students at universities across the country.
Officials allege that once Weiss gained access to those accounts, he “downloaded personal, intimate digital photographs and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck stated, “Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens.” She added, “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.”
If convicted, Weiss, a resident of Ann Arbor, could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each computer hacking count and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft.
In a statement released on January 20, 2023, Weiss expressed his respect for the University of Michigan and its people, and he looked forward to “putting this matter behind me and returning my focus to the game that I love.”
Prior to his role at Michigan, Weiss spent 12 seasons in the NFL, all with the Baltimore Ravens under coach John Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh hired him at Michigan in 2021. During his two seasons in Ann Arbor, Weiss coached quarterbacks and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2022, sharing duties with current head coach Sherrone Moore.
