Ohio Man Charged for Threatening to Kill the Vice President of the United States

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned an indictment earlier this week charging a 33-year-old man with threatening to kill the Vice President of the United States during his visit to the Northwest Ohio region in January.

Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, is accused of making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, a successor to the presidency, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 871(a). In the indictment, he allegedly 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.” Mathre was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents Feb. 6.

The grand jury further charges that from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026, Mathre was also engaged in the receipt and distribution of images that visually depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 2252(a)(2). While investigating the threats allegedly made against the vice president, federal agents discovered multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in Mathre’s possession.

“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,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.”

“Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our District,” said David M. Toepfer, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Anyone threatening this kind of action will face swift justice and prosecution. We commend the actions of our local and state law enforcement who collaborated with U.S. Secret Service to take this individual into custody.”

Mathre made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio Feb. 6. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.

If found guilty as charged, Mathre faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threating the life of the vice president. Mathre faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 if found guilty of the CSAM charge.

U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and the U.S. Secret Service Toledo and Cleveland Field Offices made the announcement.

An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

The United States Secret Service leads the investigation, with valuable assistance from the Toledo Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.