MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The man who set a Tesla Cybertruck and dealership building on fire in Mesa last spring learned Tuesday the punishment for his crimes. Ian William Moses, 35, was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of probation.
“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.”
During the early morning hours of April 28, Moses placed what were likely fire starter logs next to three areas on the outside wall of the dealership in the area of Southern Avenue and Sossaman Road and then poured liquid onto the logs, the building wall and three nearby Tesla vehicles.
Investigators said he had a hand-drawn map of the area.(United States Department of Justice)
He used a lighter to start the fire that destroyed the Cybertruck. The flames barely damaged the building. Moses also spray-painted the word “THIEF” but misspelled it by writing “THEIF.” Cameras on the building and in the vehicles recorded the crime, prosecutors said.
Moses rode off on a bicycle. But around 3 a.m., he was spotted with his bicycle getting into his Chrysler Town & Country van and was detained. Police said he was still dressed in the same clothes he wore at the scene. Officers found a hand-drawn map of the area in Moses’ pocket, including a box with the letter “T” to mark where the dealership was.
After his arrest, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the fire “domestic terrorism.”
Firefighters quickly put out the flames on the burning Cybertruck, there was also the word “THIEF” misspelled in graffiti on a wall nearby.(Arizona’s Family)
The arson fire was one of a string of violent incidents targeting Tesla in the spring of 2025. The U.S. Department of Justice charged three people at the time in connection with violent incidents targeting Tesla, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The anti-Musk sentiment grew during that time as he led DOGE to slash government spending.
On April 30, a federal grand jury indicted him on five counts of maliciously damaging property and vehicles in interstate commerce by means of fire. No domestic terrorism charges were filed. On Oct. 27, he pleaded guilty to all those charges, prosecutors said.
“This sentence sends a clear message: violence and intimidation have no place in our community,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “Setting fire to a business in retaliation for political or personal grievances is not protest—it is a crime. Our community deserves to feel safe, and this sentence underscores that Maricopa County will not tolerate political violence in any form.”
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
