TOLEDO, Ohio (WOWO) — An Ohio man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he threatened to kill Vice President JD Vance during a visit to the state last month, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors say 33-year-old Shannon Mathre made the threat while Vance was in Ohio, telling others he planned to find the vice president and “use my M14 automatic gun and kill him,” according to the indictment.
Mathre was arrested Friday by the U.S. Secret Service. During his initial court appearance, defense attorney Neil McElroy argued that Mathre’s physical and mental health challenges made it unlikely he could have carried out the threat.
“Anyone that spends any time in a room with Mr. Mathre or has any knowledge of his condition — physical condition, mental condition — can see that it’s a farce,” McElroy said in court. He did not provide details but said Mathre has “some mental disabilities and a variety of other conditions,” according to 21Alive.
Despite the defense’s claims, federal authorities said the threat was taken seriously and prompted a joint investigation involving the Justice Department and the Secret Service.
“Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
During the investigation, authorities said they discovered Mathre was also in possession of digital files depicting child sexual abuse. Prosecutors allege Mathre received and distributed sexually explicit images involving minors between Dec. 31, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026.
The child sexual abuse material charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if Mathre is convicted, the Justice Department said. The charge related to threatening the vice president carries a maximum penalty of five years.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the case underscores the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting threats against public officials.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Bondi said. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
Mathre remains in federal custody as the case proceeds.
