Jasper man arrested for intimidation after sending threatening messages to Lt. Governor

A Jasper man was arrested on April 30th on charges of intimidation, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia after allegedly sending threatening messages to Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith.

Indiana State Police First Sergeant Detective Rob Gardner of the Jasper State Police Post was contacted regarding social media posts on Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook) and messages containing threats against the Lt. Governor. These threats were allegedly committed by Joshua Wasson, age 24, of Jasper, Indiana.

According to the affidavit, the Indiana State Police opened an investigation regarding threatening messages sent through Facebook Messenger to the Lt. Governor. The messages, sent from a personal Facebook account between March 20th and April 30th, contained violent threats and racial slurs directed at the Lt. Governor and his family.

Outlined in the probable cause affidavit, the messages included threats such as “we’re ready for you to drop out of politics and off the face of the earth” and “Scared of replying to me and your constituents? You and you’re [sic] entire family are f*****g worthless, can’t wait to see that big beautiful obituary.” Other messages also included references to the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

According to police, when the Lt. Gov. was contacted about this incident, he stated that he was fearful for his and his family’s lives after these messages were sent to him.

Wasson was subsequently taken into custody after police met with him at his workplace in Jasper. At that time, a search of Wasson’s vehicle revealed a handgun, a pistol magazine, a marijuana pipe, marijuana, and a THC vape. A second pistol was later retrieved from his apartment.

Wasson was transported to the Dubois County Security Center and booked on the preliminary charges of Level 6 Felony intimidation (Against a Public Official), Class B Misdemeanor possession of marijuana, and Class C Misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia.

During an initial hearing Friday in Dubois Circuit Court, Wasson entered a preliminary not guilty plea, and the court appointed a public defender to represent him. Bond was set at $5,000, and the court ordered Wasson to have no contact with Beckwith. A pretrial conference is set for May 18.