Image: U.S. Department of Justice
A man responsible for setting a Tesla Cybertruck and a dealership building on fire in Mesa, Arizona, last spring has now been sentenced to five years in federal prison, bringing a close to one of several high-profile attacks that targeted Tesla facilities in 2025.
According to a report from AZ Family, 35-year-old Ian William Moses was sentenced this week to five years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised probation, for an arson attack carried out in the early morning hours of April 28. The incident took place at a Tesla showroom near Southern Avenue and Sossaman Road in Mesa.
“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. “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.”
Court records show Moses placed fire starter logs along three sections of the dealership’s exterior wall, poured liquid accelerant on the logs, the building, and three nearby Tesla vehicles, and then ignited the fire using a lighter. The blaze destroyed a Tesla Cybertruck parked outside, while the building itself sustained only minor damage.
Image: U.S. Department of Justice
In a detail that prosecutors highlighted in court, Moses also spray-painted the word “THIEF” on the building — but misspelled it as “THEIF.” The entire crime was captured on cameras mounted on the dealership and inside the vehicles themselves. After fleeing the scene on a bicycle, Moses was later spotted loading the bike into a Chrysler Town & Country van and was arrested around 3 a.m., still wearing the same clothes seen on camera. Police also found a hand-drawn map in his pocket marking the Tesla dealership.
The arson was part of a broader wave of violent incidents targeting Tesla last spring, including a suspected arson fire that damaged multiple Cybertrucks at a Seattle lot. While the Cybertruck has since earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2025, the Mesa attack underscored that even the safest vehicles aren’t immune to intentional acts of fire.
Moses pleaded guilty to five federal counts of maliciously damaging property and vehicles in interstate commerce by fire last October. Although the incident was previously described as “domestic terrorism” by the U.S. Attorney General, no terrorism charges were ultimately filed.
