DETROIT - Matt Weiss, the former University of Michigan co-offensive coordinator under coach Jim Harbaugh, was indicted on Thursday on charges of hacking into the personal accounts of thousands of college athletes and stealing intimate photographs and videos.
The federal indictment alleges Weiss illegally accessed a database of student-athletes at more than 100 colleges and universities maintained by a third-party company. He is accused of downloading personal information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes and using that information to access the social media, email and cloud storage accounts of more than 3,000 athletes, obtaining private photographs and videos “never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners,” federal prosecutors said on Thursday.
The case was filed more than two years after The Detroit News revealed an investigation involving Weiss and alleged computer crimes inside the football team’s offices on campus. He was fired in January 2023.
“Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens,” Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck said. “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.”
Weiss, 42, faces 24 charges: 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison for each computer charge and two years for each identity theft charge.
He has not been arrested but is expected to surrender soon and make an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit. His attorney, Douglas Mullkoff, could not be immediately reached for comment.
The alleged crimes occurred from 2015 to 2023, with Weiss primarily targeting female college athletes, according to the indictment.
He allegedly researched athletes based on school affiliation, athletic history and physical characteristics.
“His goal was to obtain private photographs and videos never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners,” the indictment states.
Weiss didn’t just access the accounts once, the indictment alleges.
“Months - and in some cases years - after he gained access to certain accounts, he returned to those accounts searching for additional photos and videos,” it reads.
“Weiss kept notes on individuals whose photographs and videos he viewed, including notes commenting on their bodies and sexual preferences,” according to the indictment.
The databases of more than 100 colleges and universities that Weiss allegedly hacked were maintained by Keffer Development Services, a Pennsylvania-based firm headed by CEO Rhett Keffer.
The government alleges Weiss hacked the databases by compromising the passwords of trainers and athletic directors.
“I have no comment for the media,” Keffer told The Detroit News on Thursday.
It appears Weiss used open-source research and data leaked from breaches to gain access, the indictment states. He also allegedly researched targeted athletes to obtain personal information, including their mothers’ maiden names, pet names, hometowns and nicknames.
“Using the combined information obtained from student-athlete databases and his internet research, Weiss was able to access the social media, email and cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 athletes by guessing or resetting their passwords,” the indictment alleges.
In October 2023, UM police confirmed the FBI had joined the investigation into alleged computer crimes at Schembechler Hall.
An investigation by UM police found unauthorized access to university email accounts at Schembechler Hall from Dec. 21-23, 2022, though it was not reported until Jan. 5, 2023. A UM employee told police that someone had accessed university email accounts without authorization.
According to Weiss’ UM personnel file, obtained by The Detroit News, a university investigation found he appeared to have “inappropriately accessed” computer accounts.
Sources told The Detroit News that UM police searched Weiss’ home on Jan. 10, 2022, in the 2000 block of Norway Road in Ann Arbor. Witnesses reported seeing law enforcement officers and unmarked vehicles at the home.
Weiss was initially suspended with pay by Michigan before being fired on Jan. 20, 2022. In his termination letter, the university stated Weiss had “inappropriately accessed the computer accounts of other individuals” in violation of Michigan’s Standard Practice Guide policies under code 601.07, which covers UM’s information technology policies.
“I have nothing but respect for the University of Michigan and the people who make it such a great place,” Weiss wrote on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after his firing. “I look forward to putting this matter behind me and returning my focus to the game that I love.”
Weiss was hired by Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens to coach Michigan’s quarterbacks in February 2021. He was later promoted to co-offensive coordinator alongside current head coach Sherrone Moore.
Weiss earned a $600,000 base salary in 2021 and signed a three-year contract extension in early 2022 that increased his salary to $850,000.
Before joining Michigan, Weiss spent 12 seasons (2009-20) on the Ravens’ coaching staff under head coach John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh’s older brother. He previously worked as a graduate assistant at Stanford (2005-08) under Jim Harbaugh.