Man Arrested for Threatening PrizePicks Staff Over $50 Loss

(AsiaGameHub) –   A PrizePicks customer who alleged he lost $50 on the platform was taken into custody after directing graphic threats at employees. Aaron John Sasser claimed he was en route to the firm’s Atlanta, Georgia office, armed and prepared to detonate the building.

Sasser started dispatching the threatening communications on April 3 at approximately 7 a.m. He specifically targeted PrizePicks CEO Mike Ybarra, declaring, “Hey there Mike Ybarra. You better leave town because I’m driving down to Atlanta to blow up the PrizePicks headquarters and then I’ll head to your house, tie you up and rape your wife in front of you.”

An unsealed affidavit reveals he subsequently issued comparable threats to co-founders Adam Wexler and Jay Deuskar.

Chatbots Fail to Grasp Severity of Threats

The automated PrizePicks chatbot replied, “I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling this way. Would you like me to connect you with a human agent? Or if you want, you can share more about what’s on your mind and I’ll do my best to help.”

There was a delay before a human agent joined the conversation. During this interval, Sasser stated he was already traveling to the office “to kill every PrizePicks team member.“

“Got my AR fully loaded & and extra two mags,” he continued. “I’ve got Mike Ybarra engraved on one of
the bullet casings”.

A PrizePicks support agent answered, “I’m so sorry for this inconvenience. Please allow me a few moments to look into this for you.”

Sasser noted the absence of urgency from the support team, adding, “Wonder if you’ll get the point before everyone is dead, Mike Ybarra”.

Loss of $50 Triggers Threats

Sasser later clarified that the threats were prompted by a $50 loss on the platform. In his home state of Maryland, PrizePicks provides daily fantasy sports (DFS) games and prediction markets launched in collaboration with Kalshi.

While Sasser did not specify the nature of his loss, he threatened, “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.”

The support agent informed him that if he did that, then his account would be banned.

The final communication from support arrived at 7:17 a.m., more than 20 minutes after the initial explicit threats. A staff member wrote, “I am sorry to hear that you are upset. May I please have the email address on account?”

Sasser retorted, “You have my email address you dumb b****!”

Threats Carry Lengthy Prison Sentence

It remains unknown whether he actually intended to act on the threats. The criminal complaint alleges he transmitted “an interstate threat to kidnap or injure.”

A conviction for this crime carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, owing to the detailed threats involving explosives.

After his arrest, Sasser was released to his father’s custody, but the court ordered him to undergo strict home confinement.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia also prohibited Sasser from contacting the named PrizePicks executives, participating in any gambling activities, and using real-time customer support services.

While athletes often receive threats from gamblers, it is less common for company executives to be singled out.

PrizePicks has not issued a public statement on the incident, but its terms of service specify, “We do not tolerate any abuse or harmful treatment toward our support representatives, or any other PrizePicks employee. If our chat transcripts indicate that you directed abusive or otherwise threatening language toward our staff, we reserve the right to permanently remove your live support privileges and terminate your account.”