Kentucky fans who threatened referee John Higgins may soon find the FBI at their door.
Seven people who attacked Higgins after he made controversial calls in the Wildcats' 75-73 loss to North Carolina in the 2017 Elite Eight have been identified and could be charged by the FBI, according to the Associated Press.
"This information has been referred to the Federal Communications Commission for further investigation of the potential violations related to applicable federal communications regulations," Lee Polikov, Sarpy Counry (Neb.) Attorney, said on Friday.
Higgins, who owns a roofing company in Omaha, was hit with more than 3,000 phone calls in the two days after the game. Sheriff's investigator Matt Barrall estimated that 75 percent of those calls came from Kentucky area corde. His Facebook page was also peppered with threats, many of which were violent.
“Nobody has ever seen anything like this,” Higgins said after getting many calls from fellow referees. “This is crazy.”
The veteran ref also said he was nervous to step onto the floor for his next game, the national semifinal between Gonzaga and South Carolina.
“I knew the eyes and cameras would be on me because of the national exposure and situation,” Higgin said. “I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to quit because of this — it’s too much pressure, it’s too hard.’ We got through it, and I thought we did a good job. I’ve got seven months to think about next year.”
It remains unclear when, and if, the seven people will be contacted by authorities, and if they'll be charged.
