Cybertruck and Tesla Dealer Burning Perpetrators Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
JAKARTA - The wave of attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealers that had spread last year has left a new case. A man named Ian Moses (35) was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of burning a Tesla Cybertruck and causing damage at a Tesla dealer in Mesa, Arizona, USA.
Citing the US Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, the action took place shortly before 02.00 a.m. on April 28, 2025. Security camera footage shows Moses placing firewood on the side of the dealer, then pouring gasoline on it.
Not stopping there, he also poured fuel into the dealer building and three Tesla vehicles, before finally setting fire.
The fire destroyed one Cybertruck unit and damaged the exterior of the dealer building.
After the fire grew, Moses fled on a bicycle. Launching from Carscoops, Saturday, January 17, when carrying out the action, Moses was said to be wearing a black mask.
Police finally managed to arrest him about a quarter of a mile from the dealer's location at 3am, or about an hour after the incident. When arrested, he was still wearing the same clothes as the perpetrator in the footage.
At the time of his arrest, he was carrying a handmade map of the area around the location, with a "T" sign that allegedly indicated the point of Tesla dealers. The chain of evidence made Moses finally plead guilty to all charges on October 27, 2025.
Earlier this week, the court sentenced him to 60 months in prison or five years, plus 36 months of probation afterwards. In addition, Moses was also required to pay compensation, the amount of which will be determined in a subsequent hearing on April 13.
This five-year sentence is considered relatively lighter than the initial threat he faced. Previously, the prosecutor's office said Moses faced five charges of intentionally damaging property and vehicles in interstate commerce using fire.
Each charge carries a potential sentence of 5 to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of 250 thousand US dollars. The case was linked to the political situation in the US, when sentiments towards Elon Musk and the Donald Trump administration triggered tensions that led to acts of vandalism.
The federal government then intervened and the situation slowly eased, although some victims still suffered the consequences. US Attorney General Timothy Courchaine stressed that arson cannot be tolerated in a democracy.
"Burning is never acceptable in American politics. Mr. Moses' actions endanger the public and emergency responders, and could have been fatal," said US Attorney General Timothy Courchaine.
"This five-year sentence reflects the gravity of this crime and makes it clear that politically motivated attacks against communities and businesses in Arizona will be prosecuted with full accountability," he continued.
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