The Cleveland Division of the FBI – Painesville Resident Agency, and the United States Attorneys Office – Northern District of Ohio, announce the arrest of Bryan Shane Wolfe, age 44, of Mansfield, Ohio, charged with Interstate Threatening Communications.

On September 13, 2020, a social media account belonging to “J.M.”, a resident in the Northern District of Ohio, received a direct message from an account by the name of shane.wolfe.7758. The message included a photograph of “J.M’s” 16 year old son and 6 year old daughter, who are both half African-American. The text with the photograph stated the following: “And it is why you and your n***** will swing from knots….you’re bleeding watching it all.”

“J.M.” reported the social media message to the Ashtabula Police Department and the FBI, an investigation was initiated.

An authorized request for subscriber information was submitted and results received indicated the owner of the account is Bryan Shane Wolfe of Mansfield, Ohio. The Internet protocol address depicted Wolfe’s residence being logged into the social media account at the time the message was transmitted.

Bryan Shane Wolfe was taken into custody without incident this morning on his route to work.

Wolfe will have an initial appearance at 2:30 p.m. in United States Magistrate Judge William Baughman’s court room.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

For questions regarding this press release, please contact SA Vicki Anderson at 216-522-1400 or at vagregg@fbi.gov.