An Ohio man has been charged with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance and with possessing digital files depicting child sexual abuse discovered during the investigation. Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, pleaded not guilty to both charges in court on Friday.
Mathre's lawyer, Neil McElroy, argued that his client's health conditions make the threat charge implausible. “Anyone that spends any time in a room with Mr Mathre or has any knowledge of his condition – physical condition, mental condition – can see that it’s a farce,” McElroy said, though he declined to elaborate on the specific disabilities.
The threat charge stems from a statement in which Mathre allegedly said: “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The Secret Service seized his Samsung phone on 21 January as part of the investigation.
The charge for threatening a vice president carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. However, the charge for possessing child sexual abuse material carries a far stiffer penalty of up to 20 years. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: “Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance.”
A separate incident last month saw another Ohio man, William D. DeFoor, 26, charged with breaking windows at Vance’s home on 5 January. The Secret Service arrested him as he fled the scene. Vance was not present at the time and has since travelled to Milan, Italy, for the Winter Olympic Games.
Mathre is due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether he will remain in custody as the case proceeds.
