A professional disc golfer from Washington harassed, threatened and cyberstalked officials at the Michigan-based equipment company that used to sponsor him, according to federal court records unsealed Friday.
Unnerving allegations describing a dark side to a sport with a laid-back reputation are outlined in a criminal case against 35-year-old Domenic Lavall Griffin of Olympia. He has won $6,085 and four events since 2017.
The court case describes a pattern of troubling behavior since early last year and online threats posted by Griffin that includes demands for $100 million and other grievances with MVP Disc Sports. The FBI alleges he bought a firearm last year and vowed online he was “metaphorically going to KILL EVERYONE IN YOUR KINGDOM.”
“In his posts, Griffin demanded tens of thousands of dollars from and made threats of violence towards the people at” MVP, FBI Special Agent Jayson Chambers wrote in an unsealed affidavit. “He also posted communications designed to intimidate, harass, and cause emotional harm. . .”
MVP is based in Marlette, a town of about 1,800 people in the Thumb region of Michigan, and the firm sponsored Griffin from 2021 until he resigned in 2024. YouTube videos show he was an enthusiastic pitchman, posting YouTube videos practicing with the company’s golf discs and wearing MVP gear.
The case against Griffin is the latest amid a surge of cyberstalking complaints nationwide. There have been more than 2,400 people sentenced for stalking and harassment in federal courts nationwide in the last decade, including a high of 288 people last year, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The crime is a five-year felony, though the average sentence is 29 months in prison.
The case was unsealed 10 days after a Lincoln Park man was accused of stalking former U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider this spring. In Griffin’s case, he also is charged with making interstate threats with intent to extort, a crime that carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
In Griffin’s case, fallout from his conduct led to MVP officials installing new security measures at their office and developing active-shooter standards.
One employee told FBI investigators Griffin’s actions made them feel “very concerned” and that they felt his actions were legitimate threats to their safety,” Chambers wrote. MVP co-founder Brad Richardson did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Griffin was ordered held without bond until at least Wednesday after making an initial appearance in federal court in Washington on Friday. Griffin’s court-appointed lawyer, Heather Carroll, did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday.
The alleged cyberstalking started in February 2025 when the FBI says Griffin started posting accusations against MVP on social media that “appeared to be hinting of racist behavior,” the FBI agent wrote.
Other posts included claims MVP treated him badly and owed him money.
In one video, Griffin complained about MVP giving another disc golfer a “huge deal.”
“Why give him 150k/ year when you could give him 110k and give me $40k?” he said. “I don’t deserve anything? F— off.”
MVP is not identified by name in the court filing and the FBI redacted the company from social media posts embedded in the criminal case. But a review of Griffin’s social media accounts shows the unredacted posts, which identify MVP.
After seeing Griffin’s posts, an MVP official contacted Griffin.
“During that conversation Griffin again referenced racism and mentioned ‘reparations,'” Chambers wrote.
In May 2025, Griffin bought a handgun and posted a video of a firearm online, calling it a “new toy.” Another video shows him firing a weapon.
The extortion threats to MVP and money demands started this year, according to the FBI.
“The Griffin is Metaphorically going to KILL EVERYONE IN YOUR KINGDOM,” he wrote in one social media post in January cited by the FBI. “If there are any buildings left or survivors, hanging on to dear life, they will be methodically EXTERMINATED/DESTROYED for fun and surety, with a sick pleasure that NO HUMAN BEING would be ok with.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold, but Griffin’s don’t cook, THEY FRY S— UP LIKE CATFISH AND CHICKEN. . .,” he added.
In another post, Griffin gave the company a midnight deadline to send him $50,000, the case alleges.
“There will be ABSOLUTELY NO MERCY AFTER TODAY,” he wrote. “After today, The Griffin is going to hold up a mirror and treat you just how you have treated The Griffin this entire time. Except The Griffin is BIPOLAR and is going to unleash its RAGE, TENFOLD, maybe even 100-FOLD because this is some BIBLICAL S—.”
The FBI became involved by mid-January. On Jan. 13, FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Griffin’s cell phone location data to monitor whether he was traveling to Michigan during the next month.
He never did.
On May 18, Griffin posted on social media that he was “feeling evil” and mentioned MVP, according to the FBI and a review of his Facebook page.
The same day, Griffin updated his profile photo with a caption that said “Smokin MVP…” and included the hashtag #imKILLINem.
In response, MVP installed a video intercom system with two-way audio to monitor the front-door vestibule at the company’s headquarters. Company officials also numbered every door at the facility and provided the information as well as an office layout to local emergency responders.
Local police also conducted a walk-through of the building.
Investigators asked MVP employees about Griffin’s alleged conduct. One employee said they were “very concerned” and believed the threats were legitimate threats to their safety, according to the complaint.
Another employee said the threats made them “physically sick to their stomach.”
rsnell@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: MVP Disc Sports targeted by golf pro in cyberstalking case, feds say
Reporting by Robert Snell, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
