After Elon Musk supported the president and initiated funding and job cuts through the so-called “Department of State Efficiency,” the number of attacks and protests against Tesla has increased sharply. Earlier this week, another incident involving a company vehicle was reported, and on Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted the suspect.
On Monday, Iean William Moses was charged with arson of a dealership in Mesa, Arizona. As prosecutors claim, he placed incendiary sticks near the building, doused them in fuel, and started a fire that damaged the showroom and destroyed a car parked nearby.
Surveillance video reportedly captured an individual in a black mask, hoodie, and baseball cap near the scene. Approximately an hour and a half later, local police arrested Moses, who, according to the investigation, was wearing the same attire. In his pocket, they found a homemade schematic plan of the dealership—a detail more characteristic of cheap spy films than real life.
He was charged with five counts of intentionally setting fire to a commercial property and vehicles involved in interstate commerce. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000 and a prison sentence of 5 to 20 years.
“There is nothing American about burning someone’s business over political disagreements,” stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Cosuchen in relation to this case. “These constant attacks on Tesla are not protests, but acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If anyone attacks Tesla with violence, they will be found and met with the full force of the law.”
This indictment comes less than a month after U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s warning to potential attackers on Tesla facilities or vehicles: “We will arrest you, prosecute you, and will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences.”