By Staff Reporter |
The man who set fire to a Tesla dealership last April received the minimum sentence possible.
Ian William Moses of Mesa, 35, received five years in prison and three years of supervised release in a sentence handed down last week.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the sentence conveyed nontolerance of political violence and intimidation.
“This sentence sends a clear message: violence and intimidation have no place in our community,” said Mitchell. “Setting fire to a business in retaliation for political or personal grievances is not protest — it is a crime. Our community deserves to feel safe, and this sentence underscores that Maricopa County will not tolerate political violence in any form.”
Similarly, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said the sentence was appropriate for Moses’ crimes.
“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,” said Courchaine. “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.”
Early one morning last April, a disguised Moses biked to a Tesla dealership in Mesa. Moses used a gas can and fire starter logs to start the fires.
Moses caused one Cybertruck to explode in his attempt to burn down the dealership, and spray painted the word “thief” on a wall, misspelled as “THEIF.” All the while, surveillance cameras and cameras within the Tesla vehicles captured Moses carrying out his crime.
Mesa officers found Moses about an hour after he committed arson, around a quarter of a mile away from the dealership. Moses was wearing the same clothes and riding the same bike. Police found a hand-drawn map of his target, with a “T” to mark the location of the Tesla dealership.
The Department of Justice sought to prosecute Moses to “the fullest extent of the law” on domestic terrorism charges.
“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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No negotiating.”
Moses faced five counts of malicious damage to property or vehicle in interstate commerce by means of fire. Each count carried the possibility of five years minimum up to 20 years maximum in prison. He pleaded guilty to all five charges.
It appears the court was persuaded by Moses placing the blame on his recent autism diagnosis.
A defense sentencing memorandum filed earlier this month blamed Moses’ high-functioning autism for his decision to commit arson. The defense revealed he had recently received an autism diagnosis leading up to the crime and had been receiving therapy every other week.
The memorandum described Moses as a “kind, gentle, helpful, compassionate, and deeply caring person who would never deliberately hurt anyone.”
Three months before Moses committed his arson in January 2025, anti-Trump activists began targeting Tesla vehicles with arson, gunfire, and vandalism. The attacks were motivated by Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s senior advisership of President Donald Trump and his appointment to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk left DOGE in May.
In March, a month before Moses carried out his attack, the FBI issued a public service announcement advising of these politically motivated targeted attacks.
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