- Man sentenced for setting fire to Tesla dealership in Arizona.
- Blaze destroyed a Cybertruck and damaged the building’s wall.
- He received five years in prison and supervised release.
Last year, there were a wave of attacks against Tesla vehicles and dealerships as hatred for Elon Musk and the Trump Administration reached a boiling point. The feds stepped in and cooler heads eventually prevailed.
However, there was a lot of damage left in the wake and people are still paying the price. One of the latest is 35-year-old Ian Moses, who was recently sentenced for setting fire to a Tesla Cybertruck and dealership in Mesa, Arizona.
More: Masked Man Allegedly Caught With Tesla Map After Torching Cybertruck
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the attack took place shortly before 2 am on April 28, 2025. Security cameras caught Moses placing fire starting logs next to the dealership and then pouring gasoline on them. He also doused the building and three Tesla vehicles, before igniting the logs.
The resulting fire destroyed a Cybertruck and damaged the exterior of the building. As the blaze was raging, Moses fled on a bicycle.
Caught Red-Handed
While Moses was wearing a black mask during the attack, Mesa police arrested him about a quarter mile from the dealership at around 3 am. He was wearing the same clothes as the attacker and had a hand drawn map of the area with a “T” marking the dealership’s location.
That’s pretty damning evidence and Moses pleaded guilty to all charges on October 27, 2025. Earlier this week, he was sentenced to 60 months in prison as well as 36 months of supervised release afterwards. He’ll also have to pay restitution, which will be determined at a hearing on April 13.
That’s a relatively light sentence as the U.S. Attorney’s Office previously said Moses was facing five counts of maliciously damaging property and vehicles in interstate commerce by means of fire. Each carried a penalty of between 5 and 20 years in prison as well as a fine of $250,000.
This seems to undermine Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s claim that “If 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. No negotiating.”
Regardless, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said “Arson can never be an acceptable part of American politics” and “This five-year sentence reflects the gravity of these crimes and makes clear that politically fueled attacks on Arizona’s communities and businesses will be met with full accountability.”
