A Florida man on Friday pleaded guilty to making threatening messages online that were made to a debt collection company based in Virginia that he owed money to. The man used racial slurs and threatened to kill employees of the company and sexually assault the family members of the company’s co-founders. The threats were made to the company through its artificial intelligence chatbot. The man is facing up to five years in prison when he is sentenced next March.
The Backstory: John Muccio, 39, started communicating with the unnamed collection agency in April 2023. On three occasions, he engaged with the company’s automated chatbot, making threats to kill and sexually assault individuals associated with the company if they did not stop calling him. The company confirmed that Muccio owed a debt of $1,474.50. The company reported the threats and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was able to identify Muccio using his computer’s IP address. The FBI obtained Muccio’s address from his Internet provider, and the address matched the address that the collection agency had for him.
- The FBI seized Muccio’s phone, which included a web bookmark for the collection company and other messages using similar language to what was used in the messages to the company.
- The collection company had sent letters to Muccio on three occasions in 2022, according to court documents. There was no mention of making phone calls to him.
What Happens Next: While Muccio faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and then three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that the actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
