An Arizona man has been sentenced to five years in prison for committing arson at a Tesla dealership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced.
Ian William Moses, who admitted guilt last year, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa. He will serve 60 months behind bars, which is the mandatory minimum, followed by three years of supervised release, as detailed in the official statement.
Court documents reveal that surveillance footage placed Moses at the Tesla dealership in Mesa in the early hours of April 28, 2025. He was dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt, tan baseball cap, gray pants, black boots, and a black mask, while carrying a red plastic gasoline can and a black backpack. The video captured him setting fire starter logs next to the dealership building, then dousing them, the building, and three Tesla vehicles with gasoline.
At approximately 1:38 a.m., Moses ignited the starter logs, sparking a blaze that ultimately destroyed a silver Tesla Cybertruck. The footage also shows him leaving the scene on a dark-colored bicycle shortly after the fire began.
This incident is part of a series of anti-Tesla vandalism acts that occurred last year, fueled by opposition to Tesla founder Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his prominent partnership with former President Donald Trump.
Footage from KSAZ-TV displays aerial views of the damaged Cybertruck.
“Arson can never be an acceptable part of American politics. Mr. Moses’ actions endangered the public and first responders and could have easily turned deadly,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a statement.
The wall of the Tesla dealership is seen vandalized with the message “THEIF.” (KSAZ-TV)
“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,” Courchaine noted.
