Former ISU student charged with extortion after threatening university on Twitter

TERRE HAUTE (WIBC) — A federal grand jury recently charged Nicholas Wheeler, a 27-year-old former Indiana State University student, with four counts of extortion.

The indictment and court documents say that on March 16th and 17th of 2024, Wheeler would make threats over Twitter toward the University, its professors, and two of his former attorneys. He threatened to kill or injure individuals who would not investigate his claim of being a victim of a crime, and also asked for $500,000.

Threats made included phrases like, “I’m coming to take your souls… closed casket funerals,” and “empty your bank accounts, I’m coming for blood Indiana State University,”

Wheeler also claimed to have a loaded machine gun and body armor.

Wheeler attended ISU from August 2018 through 2023. Though he was living in California at the time of the threats being made.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.