A Maryland resident has been charged federally after allegedly issuing death threats online to employees of PrizePicks, a sports gaming operator based in Georgia. The threats reportedly stemmed from his frustration over being unable to retrieve $50 from his account.
Aaron John Sasser was taken into custody earlier this month following an incident where he threatened to kill CEO Mike Ybarra, Executive Chairman Adam Wexler, and CTO Jay Deuskard during a 24-minute chat on April 3. The FBI's affidavit also revealed that Sasser made violent threats towards the executives' spouses and used antisemitic language.
In his message, Sasser stated, “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,” according to Special Agent Joshua Floyd's report.
Initially, a chatbot interacted with Sasser, but once a customer service supervisor joined, they warned him that his account would be permanently banned, and law enforcement would be notified.
PrizePicks subsequently forwarded Sasser's account details, including his email, driver's license, and a personal image, to the FBI's Atlanta office.
The company, which has attracted investments from notable figures like poker champion Phil Hellmuth and Baseball Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, has seen significant growth in its daily fantasy sports segment since the early 2020s. Originally focused on single-player DFS games, PrizePicks has expanded to include peer-to-peer contests and prediction markets. In January, Swiss-based Allwyn International AG completed a $1.53 billion acquisition for a 62.3% stake in the company.
Security expert Matthew Wein highlighted the seriousness of such threats, noting they are the exact types he has been warning about in his publication, Secure Stakes. He emphasized that sportsbooks and DFS applications are ill-prepared for these kinds of dangers.
As for Sasser, he has agreed to waive his preliminary hearing and was released into his father's custody on April 10. The court has mandated 24-hour home confinement for him, with specific travel allowances.
Additionally, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has prohibited Sasser from contacting the PrizePicks executives involved and has barred him from participating in any form of gambling or using social media. He is also restricted from accessing any site that provides real-time customer service chat.
A public defender has been appointed to represent him in this case.