A man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to arson related to a Tesla dealership, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona.
Ian William Moses, who admitted his guilt last year, received his sentencing on Tuesday from U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa. The judge imposed a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months in prison, plus an additional 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, surveillance footage captured Moses at a Tesla dealership in Mesa just before 2 a.m. on April 28, 2025. He was seen wearing a dark hoodie, tan cap, gray pants, black boots, and a black mask. In his possession were a red plastic gas can and a black backpack. The video shows him placing a fire starter log next to the building, then applying gasoline to the log, the structure, and three Tesla vehicles.
At around 1:38 a.m., Moses ignited the log, resulting in a fire that ultimately destroyed a silver Tesla Cybertruck. Shortly afterward, he was seen leaving the dealership on a dark bicycle.
Interestingly, this incident took place amidst increased vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles, which many attributed to the controversial actions of Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, during his time at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his connections with President Donald Trump.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Corchaine commented, stating that arson shouldn’t be tolerated in American politics. He noted that Moses’ actions endangered public safety and could have had lethal consequences. The five-year sentence is intended to underscore the gravity of such crimes and emphasize that politically motivated attacks on communities and businesses in Arizona will not go unpunished.
