Brian Mandel, a 38-year-old man from Corpus Christi, Texas, has been indicted after allegedly making death threats against Louisville Cardinals quarterback Miller Moss, along with head coach Jeff Brohm and offensive coordinator Brian Brohm. The indictment stems from a series of messages Mandel sent, expressing his anger over a gambling loss he incurred following the Cardinals’ close 29-26 overtime defeat to California last month.
Moss spoke with The Courier Journal regarding the threats, stating, “The death threat thing is crazy. … It was a little scary.” In his statements, he refrained from discussing the implications of sports gambling, suggesting it was a topic for another time. According to a University of Louisville Police report, Mandel reportedly claimed he lost $80,000 due to the team’s performance.
The charges against Mandel include six counts of second-degree terroristic threats and one count of attempted theft by extortion. This indictment, handed down by a grand jury in Jefferson County on November 10, indicates that Mandel threatened to inflict bodily harm to obtain money or property valued at $10,000. As a precaution, Moss has been afforded increased security, requiring police presence near his residence for safety.
Despite facing threats and a turbulent season, Moss highlighted the positive aspects of playing football at a high level. He stated, “At the end of the day, we play a game, and we’re super lucky to play this game at such a high level and to have the opportunities that we’ve had.” Following the loss to California, Louisville suffered two more defeats but ultimately claimed a decisive 41-0 victory over Kentucky in the Governor’s Cup.
As the legal proceeding against Mandel continues, he has pleaded not guilty and is set for a pretrial conference on February 17. Meanwhile, Moss is preparing to close out the season with a matchup against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, December 23, at Flagler Credit Union Stadium. The game is anticipated to air on ESPN, providing an opportunity for fans to rally behind the team amid the recent challenges.