A teenager from South Dakota has admitted guilt to charges of transmitting death threats to developers working at Epic Games, the studio behind the popular game Fortnite.
Nineteen-year-old Jayden Griffin entered a guilty plea for “threatening interstate commerce.” The potential penalties he faces include a maximum of five years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, in addition to up to three years of supervised release.
According to legal filings reviewed, a U.S. Grand Jury issued charges against Griffin in December 2024. These charges stem from allegations that he conveyed threats to Epic Games personnel through electronic messages sent between October 24, 2024, and November 9, 2024. The Grand Jury specifically referenced a breach of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), deeming it an act affecting interstate commerce due to Epic Games` location in North Carolina, where the communications were received.
In a court document submitted on September 16 of the current year, Griffin stated, “I sent messages to Epic Games, where I threatened to kill employees of the company. I intended for the messages to be viewed as a threat at the time that I sent the messages.”
A hearing held on September 29 in the U.S. District Court of South Dakota, Western Division, saw Griffin enter a guilty plea. However, it was noted that Griffin had previously pleaded not guilty in January 2025.
The court document detailed its findings: “The Court determines that the defendant is capable and competent to enter an informed plea, comprehends the nature of the charges and the implications of the plea, that the plea is made knowingly and voluntarily, and is substantiated by factual evidence encompassing all essential components of the offense, thereby ordering that the defendant be found guilty of the offense.”
Local news outlets have indicated that Griffin`s subsequent court date remains undetermined.