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By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle
A 24-year-old Dubois County man was arrested Thursday after Indiana State Police said he sent a series of threatening social media messages to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.
Joshua Wasson, of Jasper, was arrested on a Level 6 felony count of intimidation against a public official, along with misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and possession of paraphernalia, according to a news release from the Indiana State Police Jasper Post.
Police said the investigation began after First Sgt. Detective Rob Gardner was alerted to “threatening” posts and messages directed at Beckwith on Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook. State police Lt. Brock Werne and Trooper Andrew Recker opened an investigation and later interviewed Wasson at his workplace.
While retrieving items tied to the case from Wasson’s vehicle, troopers also located suspected marijuana and paraphernalia, according to state police. Wasson was taken to the Dubois County Jail, where he remained in custody on Friday.
During an initial hearing Friday in Dubois Circuit Court, Wasson appeared in custody and entered a preliminary plea of not guilty. The court appointed public defender Robert T. Miles to represent him, according to court records.
Judge Karen Werner set Wasson’s bond at $5,000. If released, he will be required to participate in pretrial monitoring, including home detention, and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The court also ordered Wasson to have no contact with Beckwith and scheduled a pretrial conference for May 18.
In a statement posted Friday on X, Beckwith thanked state police “for uncovering this threat and taking immediate action.”
“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,” Beckwith said in the post.
He additionally said on WIBC radio that some of the messages dated back weeks but escalated in recent days.
“I’ve gotten some messages from this guy going back to March, and I got a couple yesterday that were very, very threatening,” Beckwith said Friday. “One was a picture of Charlie Kirk. It was a graphic showing him being shot in the neck, with blood coming out of his neck.”
Beckwith said he expects the case will result in a protective order limiting Wasson’s proximity to him and his family.
State police said that the investigation remains ongoing.
The arrest comes amid heightened concerns about threats against Indiana officials in recent months, particularly surrounding legislative debates over redistricting.
Indiana State Police spokesperson Capt. Ron Galaviz told the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Friday that separate investigations into those incidents remain active and that no arrests have been made.
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The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.
