A 23 year old gambler who was charged by the U.S. Attorney in Florida with threatening athletes, including Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, with acts of violence, could face up to five years in prison. His name is Ben “Parlay” Patz and he created several fake IG accounts to send the threats. Specific to the Patriots, Patz had bet 10K that the Rams would beat the Patriots in the Superbowl. His threats wrote:
“I’ll rape and murder your entire family,” Patz allegedly wrote to Edelman.
A similar message went to Gronkowski: “I will brutally rape and murder your family. … I will enter your home while you sleep and sever your neck open with a dull knife.”
Patz turned himself in yesterday and will soon appear in federal court.
BOSTON MA. – APRIL 9: New England Patriots teammates Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are included during pregame ceremonies prior to the Boston Red Sox home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on April 9, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
