A federal grand jury has handed down an indictment charging 33-year-old Shannon Mathre of Toledo, Ohio, with threatening to kill U.S. Vice President JD Vance during the vice president's visit to the Ohio region in January, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The indictment alleges Mathre made an explicit threat to take Vance's life and to inflict bodily harm. According to the charging document cited by the Justice Department, Mathre 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."
U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Mathre on Friday, the Justice Department said. A representative for Mathre could not immediately be reached for comment, the department added.
Federal agents, while investigating the threats, reportedly discovered multiple files containing child sexual abuse materials in Mathre's possession, according to the Justice Department's statement. That discovery has led to a separate criminal charge related to the possession of those materials.
Mathre made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio on Friday and is being held in custody. He is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing on February 11, the Justice Department said.
If convicted on the count alleging he threatened the life of the vice president, Mathre faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000. The child sexual abuse materials count carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000, the Justice Department added.
Concerns about political violence and threats have been highlighted by experts in recent years as sources of alarm in the United States. Earlier this week, officials said a January 6, 2021, rioter who received a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump pleaded guilty to a harassment charge after being accused of threatening to kill U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The Justice Department's announcement did not provide additional details about the investigation's timeline or the number and nature of the files discovered. It also did not disclose whether any other individuals are under investigation in connection with the alleged threats or the child sexual abuse materials.
Mathre remains in federal custody as legal proceedings continue and as authorities prepare for the upcoming detention hearing set for February 11.