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Mesa Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Tesla Dealership Arson

Prosecutors cast the attack as politically driven, with restitution to be decided at an April 13 hearing.

Overview

  • Ian William Moses, 35, received the mandatory minimum five-year prison term plus three years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa on Jan. 13.
  • He pleaded guilty on Oct. 27 to federal counts of maliciously damaging property and vehicles in interstate commerce tied to the April 28, 2025 fire in east Mesa.
  • Surveillance captured him using gasoline and starter logs to start a blaze that destroyed a silver Cybertruck, and police detained him nearby with a hand-drawn map marking the dealership.
  • U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said arson has no place in politics and warned the crime endangered the public, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi earlier labeled the act “domestic terrorism.”
  • Authorities have linked the case to a broader series of 2025 attacks on Tesla facilities and vehicles that led to multiple federal charges.