Ohio man charged over threat to kill JD Vance, US Justice Department says

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a 33-year-old man with threatening to kill U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance during his visit to the Ohio district in January, the Justice Department said on Friday.

Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, Ohio, is accused of taking Vance’s life and threatening to cause him bodily harm, the Justice Department said in a statement.

According to the indictment cited by the Ministry of Justice, Mathre allegedly said, “I will find out where he (the vice president) will be and use my M14 automatic weapon and kill him.”

Mathre was arrested Friday by U.S. Secret Service agents. Mathre’s representative could not immediately be reached.

Experts have raised alarm in recent years about political violence and threats of violence in a polarized United States. Earlier this week, the insurrectionist, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to harassment charges after being accused of threatening to kill U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

While investigating the alleged threats, federal agents discovered multiple files of child sexual abuse material in Mathre’s possession, the Justice Department said.

Mathre appeared before the U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio on Friday and remains in custody until a detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11, the Justice Department said.

If convicted, Mathre faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threatening the vice president’s life, the Justice Department said. It was also stated that Mathre would face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a legal fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of child sexual abuse material charges.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)