A Mesa man has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years probation in connection with the arson of a Tesla dealership in that city last year.
Ian Moses, 35, pleaded guilty in October to causing malicious property damage by fire.
Prosecutors say Moses destroyed a Tesla Cybertruck in the middle of the night using starter logs and gasoline.
Tesla is owned by Elon Musk, who was then running the Department of Government Efficiency, which led to multiple attacks on dealerships, charging stations and vehicles.
“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 U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine in a press release Wednesday. “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.”
The incident drew the attention of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Defense lawyers say in court records that Moses has autism, which played a major role in the bad decisions he made.
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