Ohio man charged for threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance

TOLEDO — A federal grand jury has charged a 33-year-old Toledo man with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance during his visit to the Northwest Ohio region in January.

Shannon Mathre is accused of threatening to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, a successor to the presidency, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 871 (a), according to a spokesperson.

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In the indictment, Mathre allegedly said," I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.

He was arrested by Secret Service agents on Feb. 6.

Mathre also faces additional charges from the grand jury due to being accused of distributing and receiving images that depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct between Dec. 31, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026.

During their investigation into the threats of the vice president, federal agents found multiple digital files of child sexual abuse material in Mathre’s possession.

“Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our District,” said David M. Toepfer, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Toepfer said that anyone who engages in threatening behavior, such as what Mathre is accused of, will face swift and just prosecution.

Mathre made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio on Feb. 6. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.

If he is found guilty of his charges against the vice president, Mathre will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison with a maximum statutory fine of $250,000.

If Mathre is found guilty on the charges for the child sexual material, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison with a maximum fine of $250,000.

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