Mesa Man Charged in Tesla Arson Linked to Politics

Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of malicious damage to property and vehicles in interstate commerce after allegedly setting fire to a Tesla dealership on April 28, 2025. Surveillance and vehicle cameras captured Moses using gasoline and fire starter logs to ignite the blaze, which destroyed a Tesla Cybertruck and damaged other vehicles. Moses was arrested about a quarter-mile from the scene with a hand-drawn map marking the dealership’s location. Authorities now allege the arson is part of a series of violent attacks targeting Tesla, potentially motivated by CEO Elon Musk's political involvement in the Trump administration. Each count carries penalties of five to twenty years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. Federal and local agencies are collaborating on the ongoing investigation and have promised aggressive prosecution.