Man Indicted In Arizona Tesla Dealership Fire
An Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck in Arizona.
Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts ofย malicious damageย to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEOย Elon Muskโsย involvement in the Trump administration.
The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal juryโs indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack.
According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word โTHIEF.โ
Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Mosesโs pocket that had the letter โTโ marking the dealershipโs location.
โThere is nothing American about burning down someone elseโs business because you disagree with them politically,โ Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. โThese ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.โ
If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Attorney Generalย Pam Bondiย said in a statement on Mosesโs indictment that there would be โno negotiatingโ on the charges.
โIf you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,โ Bondi said.














