Federal prosecutors secured a sentencing on the man accused of setting fire to a Tesla dealership in east Mesa.
Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was sentenced Jan. 13 to the mandatory minimum of five years in prison for maliciously damaging property and vehicles at the dealership, according to a press release from the U.S. District of Arizona. The sentence, which includes three years supervised release, was handed down by U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, the press release said.
Moses pleaded guilty Oct. 27 to all charges after an indictment by a federal grand jury, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office.
Surveillance cameras showed Moses at the dealership, located on Hampton Avenue near Sossaman Road and U.S. 60, before 2 a.m. April 28, 2025, clad in black pouring gasoline onto starter logs, the building and three vehicles, the press release said. Moses proceeded to cause a fire that destroyed a silver Tesla Cybertruck before he was seen on video leaving the dealership on a bicycle, the news release said.
Moses was apprehended shortly after by Mesa police about a quarter mile from the dealership with a map with the letter “T” marking the dealership’s location, the release said.
Without specifying how, the U.S. Attorney’s Office described the incident as “politically fueled” in a statement.
“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,” read a the statement by U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell added in a statement: “Setting fire to a business in retaliation for political or personal grievances is not protest—it is a crime.”
Restitution on the case would be determined at a hearing set for April 13, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At the time of his arrest, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi labeled his action as “domestic terrorism” in a post on X, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
At the time of the Moses’ arrest, there were at least five others similarly charged in three incidents across the country.
Musk headed up U.S. President Donald Trump’s now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency before a brief falling out between the political allies.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tesla dealership fire lands Mesa man prison time
