Unfortunately, Vice President JD Vance is no stranger to threats. Vance and his family have endured multiple threats since he became the 50th Vice President of the United States.
One of the most recent instances has resulted in federal charges against an Ohio man, and there's an added dark twist involved here.
On Friday, the Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury had returned an indictment against a 33-year-old Ohio man who threatened to kill Vance during his January visit to Ohio.
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TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned an indictment earlier this week charging a 33-year-old man with threatening to kill the Vice President of the United States during his visit to the Northwest Ohio region in January.
Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, is accused of making a threat 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). In the indictment, he allegedly stated, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” Mathre was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents Feb. 6.
But it isn't just threats against Vance for which Mathre is facing charges.
The grand jury further charges that from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026, Mathre was also engaged in the receipt and distribution of images that visually depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 2252(a)(2). While investigating the threats allegedly made against the vice president, federal agents discovered multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in Mathre’s possession.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had this to say about the matter:
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance. You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also weighed in:
While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials. Thank you to federal, state and local…
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) February 7, 2026
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Mathre's initial court appearance in the Northern District of Ohio was on Friday. A detention hearing is set for this coming Wednesday.
Mathre rightly is facing some serious penalties if he's convicted of the charges:
If found guilty as charged, Mathre faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threating the life of the vice president. Mathre faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 if found guilty of the CSAM charge.
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