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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jim Harbaugh said he was not aware of allegations of computer crimes against former Michigan assistant Matt Weiss until after Weiss coached his final game with the Wolverines in the 2022 College Football Playoffs.
“It was after the TCU game that we — that I found out, we found out, that there was allegations,” Harbaugh said at the NFL’s annual spring meeting Monday morning. “And you said it, I mean indictment, that's not a word that — sympathy for the victims and for Matt's family. It’s shocking.”
Weiss, Michigan’s quarterbacks coach in 2021 and the team’s co-offensive coordinator in 2022, was indicted March 20 on federal criminal charges of hacking into computers at more than 100 universities across the country and stealing the identities of more than 3,300 student athletes, mostly female.
He pleaded not guilty to all 24 charges he faces during a hearing last week in Detroit's federal court.
Weiss is alleged to have committed his crimes in 2015-23 by breaking into student-athlete databases maintained by a third-party vendor.
According to the indictment, Weiss downloaded "personal, intimate, digital photographs and videos" of unwitting women. After gaining access to accounts, he returned to them to look for compromising photos and videos.
THE STORY: Feds indict ex-Michigan coach Matt Weiss: He hacked computers to spy on women
Weiss worked as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009-20, under Harbaugh’s brother John, before joining Michigan in 2021.
Weiss reportedly spent the past two seasons working as a contractor with the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks, according to Pro Football Talk.
“Just really shocking,” John Harbaugh said. “Shocking. Surprising. Didn’t see that one coming. Found out about it the same time everybody else did. Don’t know what to make of it. Just feel really bad for the people involved, that were affected by it. Especially his family and then the people that were victims of that. I love (Weiss’ wife) Melissa and the kids. It’s really just a disturbing situation.”
At least five current and former student athletes have filed a class-action lawsuit against Weiss, the University of Michigan board of regents and third-party vendor, Keffer Development Services. One of the suits requested the court enter a judgment exceeding $100 million.
The University of Michigan Police Department opened an investigation into alleged computer crimes that occurred at Schembechler Hall from Dec. 21-23, 2022.
Michigan lost Dec. 31 to TCU, 51-45, in the college football semifinals.
According to the U-M Police log, a university employee informed police about the incident on Jan. 5. Reports surfaced that authorities were seen in marked and unmarked vehicles at Weiss' Ann Arbor home a few days later. Weiss was quickly placed on administrative leave, then fired Jan. 20.
“Just completely shocked,” Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “Disturbed.”
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh 'completely shocked' by Matt Weiss allegations at Michigan
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“It was after the TCU game that we — that I found out, we found out, that there was allegations,” Harbaugh said at the NFL’s annual spring meeting Monday morning. “And you said it, I mean indictment, that's not a word that — sympathy for the victims and for Matt's family. It’s shocking.”
Weiss, Michigan’s quarterbacks coach in 2021 and the team’s co-offensive coordinator in 2022, was indicted March 20 on federal criminal charges of hacking into computers at more than 100 universities across the country and stealing the identities of more than 3,300 student athletes, mostly female.
He pleaded not guilty to all 24 charges he faces during a hearing last week in Detroit's federal court.
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Weiss is alleged to have committed his crimes in 2015-23 by breaking into student-athlete databases maintained by a third-party vendor.
According to the indictment, Weiss downloaded "personal, intimate, digital photographs and videos" of unwitting women. After gaining access to accounts, he returned to them to look for compromising photos and videos.
THE STORY: Feds indict ex-Michigan coach Matt Weiss: He hacked computers to spy on women
Weiss worked as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009-20, under Harbaugh’s brother John, before joining Michigan in 2021.
Weiss reportedly spent the past two seasons working as a contractor with the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks, according to Pro Football Talk.
“Just really shocking,” John Harbaugh said. “Shocking. Surprising. Didn’t see that one coming. Found out about it the same time everybody else did. Don’t know what to make of it. Just feel really bad for the people involved, that were affected by it. Especially his family and then the people that were victims of that. I love (Weiss’ wife) Melissa and the kids. It’s really just a disturbing situation.”
At least five current and former student athletes have filed a class-action lawsuit against Weiss, the University of Michigan board of regents and third-party vendor, Keffer Development Services. One of the suits requested the court enter a judgment exceeding $100 million.
The University of Michigan Police Department opened an investigation into alleged computer crimes that occurred at Schembechler Hall from Dec. 21-23, 2022.
Michigan lost Dec. 31 to TCU, 51-45, in the college football semifinals.
According to the U-M Police log, a university employee informed police about the incident on Jan. 5. Reports surfaced that authorities were seen in marked and unmarked vehicles at Weiss' Ann Arbor home a few days later. Weiss was quickly placed on administrative leave, then fired Jan. 20.
“Just completely shocked,” Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “Disturbed.”
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh 'completely shocked' by Matt Weiss allegations at Michigan
Continue reading...
