Accused released to his father, placed under 24-hour home confinement
A Maryland man faces federal charges after authorities say he made death threats online to PrizePicks employees, including the Georgia-based sports gaming operator’s executives, because he was unable to access $50 within his account.
Aaron John Sasser was arrested earlier this month after he allegedly sent the threats through PrizePicks online customer service chat service. According to an affidavit from an FBI special agent, Sasser specifically threatened to kill CEO Mike Ybarra, founder and Executive Chairman Adam Wexler, and co-founder and CTO Jay Deuskar during an April 3 chat session that lasted at least 24 minutes. The transcript shown in the affidavit also includes violent threats against PrizePicks executives’ spouses as well as antisemitic language.
…if my $50 doesn’t end up back in my bank account before 5pm today, I’m going to drive down to Atlanta, Georgia and kill everyone in the PrizePicks office,” Sasser wrote, according to the statement submitted by Special Agent Joshua Floyd.
A chatbot initially conversed with Sasser, according to Floyd’s affidavit. Once a customer service supervisor joined, they warned Sasser the company would permanently ban his account, report the interaction with law enforcement, and consider taking additional legal steps.
PrizePicks then sent Sasser’s account information, including his email address, a digital copy of his driver’s license, and an image of himself he included in his account, to the FBI’s office in Atlanta.
Drawing investments from such notable people as poker legend Phil Hellmuth and Baseball Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, PrizePicks saw its daily fantasy sports business grow tremendously in the early 2020s. Initially offering single-player DFS games, the company expanded in recent years to add peer-to-peer fantasy contests and prediction markets to its offerings. In January, Swiss-based Allwyn International AG closed on its $1.53 billion purchase for a 62.3% stake in PrizePicks.
Security Expert Warned Against Such Threats
The charges were first reported by Matthew Wein, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official who publishes Secure Stakes on Substack.
“These are the exact types of threats I have been warning about in Secure Stakes,” Wein wrote late Monday afternoon. “The types of threats that sportsbooks, DFS apps, and sports leagues are not ready for.”
The case against Sasser comes as other individuals face charges for making threats against athletes and coaches after losing bets. Several lawmakers and stakeholders, including the NCAA, have called on states to restrict certain types of wagers in hopes of curbing those threats.
Barred From Gambling, Social Media For Now
According to court documents, Sasser agreed to waive a preliminary hearing in the case. He was released into the custody of his father on April 10, and the court ordered Sasser to around-the-clock home confinement, with certain travel exceptions.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia also ordered Sasser not to contact Ybarra, Wexler, and Duesler, along with others identified in the case.
He also must not engage in any form of gambling or enter any gambling establishment. In addition, Sasser is unable to use social media, nor can he access any site that has a real-time customer service chat function.
The court also approved a public defender to serve as counsel.
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