A sports gambler pleaded guilty in federal court to transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce after sending threatening social media messages to players for the Tampa Bay Rays. Benjamin "Parlay Patz" Patz faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted, the Associated Press reported.
Patz was charged last year with sending multiple violent threats to professional and collegiate players -- in some cases, their families too -- in relation to lost bets he made across sports. These threats were violent in nature and often referenced breaking into the athletes' respective homes and beheading them. While the previously reported threats were made to players on the Orioles, Nationals, Padres, Braves, Athletics, Indians, Royals, New England Patriots, and the Swedish side in the Women's World Cup, the plea directly relates to what he sent to Rays players.
None of the players threatened were identified by their name, only their initials.
Most of these messages came from burner accounts on social media, but in a couple cases, they came from Patz's actual account.
The DOJ investigation found that on Dec. 22, 2019, Patz messaged a player from the University of Arizona, "Your worthlessness costed me over 100,000$ tonight! Sad!!" from his personal account. Jeter replied: "Gambling is a dangerous habit. You're addicted. Stop it. Get some help!" To which Patz responded with "I'm doing just fine, over one million this month!''
Patz caught the eye of the gambling world in Nov. 2019 after making over $600,000 on two bets: an $1,800, 15-leg parlay, and a $7,000 13-leg parlay.
