Federal agents uncovered child sexual abuse material while investigating an Ohio man who allegedly threatened to assassinate Vice President JD Vance.
A federal grand jury indicted Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo on charges of threatening to kill the vice president and possessing child pornography, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday. U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Mathre on Feb. 6.
According to the DOJ, Mathre allegedly stated he would locate Vance and use an “M14 automatic gun” to kill him during the vice president’s January visit to Northwest Ohio. Investigators discovered multiple digital files containing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct while examining evidence related to the threat. (RELATED: Man Charged With Threatening To Bomb JD Vance At Theme Park)
The grand jury charged Mathre with distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material between Dec. 31, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
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
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called attention to the dual nature of the charges.
“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,” Blanche said. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.”
Mathre made the threat on Jan. 21, one day before Vance arrived in Toledo to deliver remarks alongside Republican Sen. Jon Husted and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, WTOL reported. Mathre pleaded not guilty to both charges during his initial court appearance. He remains in custody ahead of a Feb. 11 detention hearing.
The arrest comes weeks after another man faced federal charges for vandalizing Vance’s Cincinnati home, according to Fox8 Cleveland.
Mathre faces up to five years in prison for the threat charge and up to 20 years for the child pornography charge.