Feds indict former Michigan co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss

Matt Weiss, the former University of Michigan co-offensive coordinator under Coach Jim Harbaugh, was indicted Thursday in a case accusing him of hacking into the personal accounts of thousands of college athletes and stealing intimate photographs and videos.

The federal indictment alleges Weiss gained illegal access to a database of student-athletes at more than 100 colleges and universities that were maintained by a third-party company. Weiss is accused of downloading personal information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes and using that information to obtain access to the social media, email and cloud storage accounts of more than 3,000 athletes and download personal intimate digital photographs and videos "that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners," federal prosecutors said 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. Weiss 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.”

In all, Weiss is charged with 24 counts: 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to five years on each computer charge and two years on each identity theft charge.

In October 2023, UM Police confirmed the FBI had joined the investigation into alleged computer crimes at Schembechler Hall.

An investigation was opened by the UM Police Department for the alleged computer crimes that occurred at Schembechler Hall from Dec. 21, 2022, through Dec. 23, although it was not reported on the UM Police log until Jan. 5, 2023. A UM employee told police someone accessed university email accounts without authorization at Schembechler Hall.

According to Weiss’ UM personnel file obtained by The Detroit News, it was found during a university investigation review that Weiss appeared to "have inappropriately accessed” computer accounts.

Sources told The Detroit News on Jan. 10, 2022, that UM police investigators searched Weiss’ home in the 2000 block of Norway Road in Ann Arbor. The sources, including an eyewitness, said law enforcement officers and unmarked vehicles were present at the home.

Weiss was initially suspended with pay by Michigan but was fired Jan. 20, 2022. In the termination letter, Michigan said it appeared 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.

“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 he was fired. “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 and was later promoted to co-offensive coordinator with current head coach Sherrone Moore. Weiss made a $600,000 base salary in 2021 and signed a three-year contract extension in early 2022 that bumped his pay to $850,000. Weiss spent 12 seasons (2009-20) on the Ravens staff for head coach John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh’s older brother. Weiss was a graduate assistant at Stanford (2005-08) where he had previously worked for Jim Harbaugh.

Come back to www.detroitnews.com for more on this developing story.

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