Ohio Man Charged with Threatening Vice President Vance, Also Faces Child Pornography Charges
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 33-year-old Ohio man has been charged with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance during a visit to the state last month, federal prosecutors announced Friday. Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, also faces charges related to the possession of digital files depicting child sexual abuse.
According to an indictment unsealed on February 6, Mathre allegedly stated he would locate the vice president and “use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The Justice Department did not specify the exact location or time of the threat, which occurred in January. The Secret Service investigated beyond the initial online threat, examining Mathre’s actions and behavior.
Mathre pleaded not guilty to both counts in federal court in Toledo on Friday. Magistrate Judge Darrell Clay ordered him temporarily detained pending a hearing scheduled for February 11.
The threat charge carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison, while the charge related to child sexual abuse materials carries a significantly stiffer penalty of up to 20 years.
Mathre’s lawyer, Neil McElroy, argued that his client’s health conditions make the threat implausible. “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, declining to elaborate on the specifics of Mathre’s health challenges but noting he has “some mental disabilities and a variety of other conditions.” McElroy stated he could not comment on the child pornography allegations as prosecutors have not yet provided details.
Despite the defense’s claims, law enforcement took the threat seriously. “The safety and security of those we protect is paramount to everything we do,” said Matthew Schierloh, the Secret Service agent in charge of the Toledo office. “Thanks to vigilant members of the public and the tenacious work of our special agents, a comprehensive joint investigation was conducted, resulting in the arrest of a defendant for making threats against the Vice President.”
The Justice Department and Secret Service launched a joint investigation that led to the seizure of Mathre’s Samsung phone on January 21.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the severity of the charges, stating, “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.”
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio stated, “Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our district.”
This case comes amid a series of incidents targeting Vice President Vance. Last month, a man was arrested for allegedly breaking windows at Vance’s Ohio home. In January, another man was charged with threatening to kill Vance during a trip to Disneyland. In November 2025, a Michigan man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for threatening to kill President Trump, Vance and two other individuals online.
As of February 7, Vice President Vance was in Milan, Italy, attending the start of the Winter Olympic Games with his wife, Usha Vance, who recently announced the couple is expecting their fourth child.
