By Sydney Byerly
The Indiana Citizen
May 1, 2026
Indiana State Police said they arrested a 24-year-old Dubois County man on Thursday for allegedly making threats against Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.
Joshua Wasson, of Jasper, has been charged with intimidation against a public official, a Level 6 felony, state police said in a news release. He also faces misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
Officials have not publicly detailed how they were alerted to the threats.
Police said they interviewed Wasson at his workplace on Thursday. While collecting items connected to the case from Wasson’s vehicle, investigators also found suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, police said.
Wasson is being held on a $5,000 cash only bond at the Dubois County Jail. If posted, Wasson will be placed on Moderate Pretrial Monitoring, which includes a prohibition on possessing firearms and placement on pretrial home detention. A no-contact order was also issued as a condition of pretrial release.
Beckwith thanked investigators “for uncovering this threat and taking immediate action” in a social media post.
The Republican lieutenant governor, whose own political rhetoric has at times been criticized and described as hurtful, also said: “This type of violence aimed mostly at conservatives must stop now and any members of the media who encourage these radicalized individuals to act should also be held accountable.”
Governor Mike Braun and the lieutenant governor’s office did not respond to messages from The Indiana Citizen on Friday seeking comment.
The arrest comes amid broader concerns about threats against public officials in Indiana and across the country, including incidents tied to legislative disputes and online political rhetoric.
As Indiana lawmakers debated President Donald Trump’s demand to redraw congressional maps to boost the GOP’s chances of winning two more U.S. House seats last year, multiple lawmakers reported threats targeting their homes and businesses, and several state senators were subjected to swatting calls — false reports designed to trigger armed law enforcement responses. The incidents prompted investigations by state and federal authorities and heightened concerns about political violence in the state, but no charges have been made.
At the time, Beckwith condemned the incidents, echoing a statement from Gov. Mike Braun and referencing his own experiences with threats.
“Having faced multiple threats myself over the past year, I stand firmly with Governor Braun on this,” Beckwith wrote. “Violence has absolutely no place in our political process.”
Tensions have also surfaced at Beckwith’s public events. At an August 2025 town hall in Newburgh, two attendees were arrested following a contentious encounter with the lieutenant governor that included multiple disruptions, shouting, and law enforcement forcibly removing them. The pair were charged with resisting arrest and battery against a public official.
Beckwith said afterward that while he welcomes debate, some attendees “resorted to uncivil conduct,” and he has continued to hold in-person events as part of his office’s initiative, 92 & You State Tour.
More recently, Beckwith said he became aware of an alleged credible threat against him and his family made last year, when he was contacted by a reporter from The Indianapolis Star ahead of publication of an April 21 story that detailed the threat.
“The Lt. Governor was made aware by the IndyStar reporter who wrote the story the evening before it came out. That was the first time any of us had heard absolutely anything about this credible threat,” said Beckwith communications director Jeff Boggs.
Calling the delay a “communication breakdown,” Beckwith told FOX59/CBS4 it highlights gaps in how threat information reaches elected officials. He added that law enforcement “collectively does a fantastic job,” but acknowledged that “there are times where … things don’t get communicated.”
Sydney Byerly is a political reporter who grew up in New Albany, Indiana. Before joining The Citizen, Sydney reported news for TheStatehouseFile.com and most recently managed and edited The Corydon Democrat & Clarion News in southern Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism at Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism (‘Sco Griz!).
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
