DETROIT — On Monday, a former assistant football coach for both the University of Michigan and the Baltimore Ravens faced a judge, resulting in a not-guilty plea being entered on his behalf. He is facing charges related to allegedly accessing the computer accounts of numerous college athletes to locate intimate images, largely targeting women.
The brief court appearance of Matt Weiss in federal court in Detroit followed the submission of a comprehensive 14-page indictment. The charges against him include unauthorized computer access and identity theft, reported to have occurred over an extended period from 2015 to 2023.
Weiss, along with his lawyer, Douglas Mullkoff, opted not to have the indictment read aloud in court, and both refrained from making any statements to the press as they exited the courthouse in chill, windy conditions.
In a related legal development, a lawsuit was filed the previous Friday, seeking class-action status. This suit represents a former female gymnast and a former women’s soccer team member from the University of Michigan.
According to attorney Parker Stinar, the institution failed its duty by not adequately supervising Weiss, resulting in privacy invasions for numerous individuals. The University of Michigan has chosen not to publicly comment on the matter.
The indictment reveals that Weiss allegedly breached databases from over 100 colleges and universities, which were managed by a third-party vendor known as Keffer Development Services. He reportedly accessed and downloaded the personal and medical information of over 150,000 athletes.
Furthermore, the indictment details his alleged access to the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 athletes and over 1,300 students or alumni from numerous schools nationwide.
It is claimed in the indictment that Weiss’s intentions were to obtain private photographs and videos that the individuals involved never intended to share outside of personal relationships.
Weiss’s tenure with the University of Michigan concluded in 2023 after he was terminated for failing to cooperate with an internal school investigation. During his time with the team, he served as a co-offensive coordinator in 2022 when the Wolverines achieved a notable 13-1 record and competed in the college football playoff.
Prior to his time at Michigan, Weiss dedicated over a decade to working with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, contributing in various coaching capacities.
