Matthew Weiss’s pre-trial efforts to reduce his federal hacking charges were set back on Monday after a judge denied his motion to dismiss the majority of the counts against him.

The FBI charged Weiss on March 20, 2025. According to the Detroit Free Press, Weiss allegedly hacked into the personal accounts of more than 3,300 student athletes and stole private photos and videos.

"Weiss suggests that the government’s charging strategy will prejudice him through a potential lack of unanimity among the jurors, the possibility of double jeopardy, and lack of notice," Judge David M. Lawson wrote, per the Detroit Free Press. "In this case, none of these concerns justify dismissing the challenged counts of the indictment."

Weiss allegedly ran this scheme for over eight years from 2015 to 2023. He is facing 14 counts of unauthorized computer access and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.

On Monday, Lawson denied Weiss' request to throw out 15 of those 24 counts. Weiss argued the charges were duplicative and that prosecutors had not proven the offenses happened in the Eastern District of Michigan.

The judge left the door open for Weiss to raise those concerns during the trial itself.

"The government says it will prove at trial that all of the unauthorized access attempts happened while Weiss lived and worked in the Eastern District of Michigan," Lawson wrote, per Detroit Free Press. "If it does not offer such proofs, the defendant may seek relief at that time."

This is not the first time Weiss tried to get charges dropped. A previous judge denied his motion to dismiss the 10 aggravated identity theft counts in December 2025.

Monday's ruling means Weiss enters trial on September 22 in Detroit facing all 24 counts. The judge was not convinced. If he is convicted on everything, he is looking at more than 70 years in prison.

Key evidence tossed just days before Monday’s ruling

Days before the decision, Weiss secured a favorable ruling regarding seized digital evidence.

Judge Lawson looked at the digital evidence, computers, tablets, and phones seized by the University of Michigan Police in 2022. According to the Detroit News, the judge ruled the material inadmissible at trial.

"The lack of particularity in UMPD's forensic search warrants renders them unconstitutional general warrants," Lawson wrote per the Detroit News.

That ruling wiped out evidence from three computers at Schembechler Hall and 14 devices taken from Weiss' home. But Lawson said no when Weiss asked to also suppress what came from his iCloud account. The FBI keeps that material, and it goes to trial.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore