A Mesa, Arizona resident was sentenced last week to five years in federal prison for setting fire to a Tesla dealership and destroying a Cybertruck in a politically motivated arson attack that shocked law enforcement and the EV community.
The incident, which occurred in April 2025, did more than torch an electric pickup. It exposed deep fractures in public perceptions of Tesla products and foreshadowed growing challenges for Elon Musk’s once-high-flying EV maker.
The Crime
According to federal prosecutors, 35-year-old Ian William Moses approached the Tesla retail location in Mesa shortly before 2 a.m. on April 28th. Surveillance footage shows Moses carrying a gasoline can and a backpack.
Investigators say he poured gasoline on the building and on three vehicles parked outside, including a Tesla Cybertruck, then ignited the blaze with fire starter logs. Fire crews eventually extinguished the flames, but the Cybertruck was destroyed and the structure suffered significant damage. Moses fled on a bicycle and was arrested about a quarter mile from the scene.
In U.S. District Court, Moses reportedly pleaded guilty to five felony counts earlier in October 2025. U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa handed down a five-year prison term followed by three years of supervised release, with restitution to be settled in April 2026. Prosecutors emphasized that the crime was politically motivated, and that that’s an unacceptable escalation from protest to violent property damage…