Jasper man charged with felony intimidation after threats to lieutenant governor

Joshua Wasson, 24, of Jasper, was jailed without bond in Dubois County after Indiana State Police say online threats aimed at Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith triggered a felony intimidation investigation.

State police said the case began when First Sergeant Detective Rob Gardner was alerted to concerning social media posts directed at Beckwith. Wasson was interviewed at his workplace before troopers arrested him on Thursday, April 30, and police said suspected marijuana and paraphernalia were found in his vehicle during the arrest.

Wasson is charged with intimidation against a public official, a Level 6 felony, along with misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession and possession of paraphernalia. Under Indiana law, intimidation can be charged as a felony in some circumstances, including when the threat is tied to a person’s occupation or official status. In practical terms, that means prosecutors will have to show the alleged threat was not just offensive or angry speech, but criminal intimidation directed at Beckwith because of his role in state government.

The investigation was handled by Lt. Brock Werne, Trooper Andrew Recker and Trooper Jon Villanueva, according to local reporting. Wasson remained in the Dubois County Jail without bond as the case moved forward.

The case puts a Dubois County name and address on a broader statewide issue: how law enforcement responds when social media posts cross into threats against elected officials. Police in Jasper and state investigators are now working through evidence from online messages and the arrest itself, a reminder that posts made on Facebook can become part of a felony case when investigators believe they contain a real threat.

Beckwith became Indiana’s 53rd lieutenant governor on January 13, 2025, after winning election in 2024 on the Republican ticket with Gov. Mike Braun. His office has already been under scrutiny over security and threat notification after Beckwith said he was not told promptly about another alleged threat involving him and his family. That makes the Wasson case especially relevant in Dubois County, where local officers and state police are being asked to sort out a hard line between protected speech and conduct prosecutors say rises to intimidation.