An Ohio man was charged with threatening to shoot and kill Vice President JD Vance, federal prosecutors said on Friday.
The man, Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, Ohio, said on Jan. 21 that he was going to find Mr. Vance and “use my M14 automatic gun and kill him,” according to an indictment filed on Wednesday in the Northern District of Ohio.
It was not immediately clear how law enforcement officials became aware of Mr. Mathre’s statement. It was also unclear if he made the comment in writing or orally.
Mr. Mathre made his comment the day before Mr. Vance was in Toledo to speak at an event discussing the administration’s economic agenda, according to a social media post from Mr. Vance.
While investigating Mr. Mathre about the threat, law enforcement officials discovered child sexual abuse materials on his phone, prosecutors said.
Mr. Mathre was indicted on charges of threats against the president and successors to the presidency, and receipt and distribution of child pornography, according to court records.
Neil S. McElroy, a lawyer representing Mr. Mathre, said on Saturday that he could not comment on the child pornography charge because evidence had not yet been presented.
“As to the first count, while the charge against Mr. Mathre may buttress the administration’s narrative regarding threats of violence aimed at members of the administration, this particular charge — as it relates to Mr. Mathre and his conduct — is a farce,” Mr. McElroy wrote in an email.
Mr. Mathre was arrested on Friday and was being held at the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo until a detention hearing on Wednesday, according to court records.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
If convicted, Mr. Mathre faces a maximum of five years in prison for his threat against the vice president and up to 20 years in prison on the child pornography charge, prosecutors said.
Rylee Kirk reports on breaking news, trending topics and major developing stories for The Times.
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