Former student charged with extortion, threats against Indiana State officials
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A former Indiana State University student has been indicted on charges of extortion and making threats against faculty members and others, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
The indictment alleges that Nicholas Wheeler, 27, made the violent threats on March 16 and 17 via social media.
Nicholas allegedly threatened Indiana State University, two university professors, and two of his former attorneys that if they didn’t give him $500,000 or investigate his claim that he was the victim of a crime, he would kill or injure them, the DOJ said.
Wheeler was a student at ISU from August 2018 through August 2023.
Some of the threats included messages such as, “I’m coming to take your souls… closed casket funerals,” and “empty your bank accounts, I’m coming for blood Indiana State University.” He also claimed to own a loaded machine gun and body armor, according to the indictment.
The DOJ said Wheeler sent the threats while living in California.
Wheeler faces four counts of transmitting extortionate threats via interstate commerce and three counts of transmitting threats via interstate commerce.
If convicted of the most serious offense, Wheeler could face up to 20 years in federal prison.