Suspected Tesla arsonists hit with federal charges in acts of ‘domestic terrorism’: AG
Three individuals were charged in federal cases after they used Molotov cocktails to violently attack Tesla properties around the country in acts of “domestic terrorism,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Thursday.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said Thursday. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
All three face charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison, the department said.
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Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, on Jan. 20, threw approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon, federal prosecutors said. One vehicle was completely destroyed, and several others were damaged.
Lansky also threw a “large heavy object through the dealership window,” they said. At the time of the attack, he was armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle.
Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, was arrested in Loveland, Colorado on Jan. 29 after attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said.
Nelson was later found in possession of materials used to produce additional incendiary weapons, including a container of gasoline, bottles, and wick materials, on Feb. 24, prosecutors said.
In Charleston, South Carolina, Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly wrote profane messages against President Donald Trump and advocated for Ukraine around Tesla charging stations before lighting three of the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails on March 7.
Court documents, citing witnesses, say Clarke-Pounder spray-painted in red paint, “F— Trump” and “Long Live Ukraine” in a Tesla charging station parking spot.
Lansky and Nelson were charged with arson property in interstate commerce and possession of unregistered destructive device. Clarke-Pounder was charged with arsn of property in interstate commerce.
A former high-level FBI special agent said he expects political violence in the United States to continue escalating amid the nationwide destruction of Tesla vehicles and dealerships aimed at intimidating Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk.
Michael Tabman is the former special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, and he said there is no doubt that recent violent attacks faced by Tesla owners and dealerships are clear cases of domestic terrorism.
“I do fear that more violence is on its way,” Tabman told Fox News Digital. “Maybe not directly Teslas or DOGE, but just general political violence. I think it’s already here. But I think there’s more around the corner.”
This week, a website called “DOGEQUEST” became active and purports to have compiled a list of Tesla owners, their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses in an apparent effort to dox ordinary Americans who drive Teslas. The site also contains a map of Tesla dealerships and charging stations.
“I think right now, given the tenor of society, given the rhetoric that we hear, the dogma that we hear and that a lot of what we hear is filled with violence or violent undertones, I say, yes, I think we are becoming a more reactionary country,” Tabman said. “We’re a more divided country, hatred for the other side is boiling over, and I’m putting this in on both sides.”
Asked about the prospects of de-escalating political violence, Tabman was pessimistic.
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“It’s not realistic. I just don’t see it as realistic,” he said. “And you know, there are some people who think in terms of, hey, this is working. Let’s say they’re anti-DOGE or anti-Trump, and they feel that, hey, [if] we keep doing this, eventually we’ll sort of overthrow – not literally overthrow – but sort of dethrone the king.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Tuesday evening that “the swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism.”
She has warned of “severe consequences” for anyone involved in vandalizing Tesla vehicles, telling Will Cain on his show Wednesday, “They’re targeting Elon Musk who is out there trying to save our country and it will not be tolerated. We are coming after you.”
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Tabman did encourage people to tone down their rhetoric because inflammatory language can be interpreted by others as a justification to commit violent acts.
“Let’s understand what we’re angry at and what’s the proper way of expressing your anger, and violence is not the proper way to do it,” he said.
The latest act of anti-Musk violence was directed at a Tesla collision and sales center in Las Vegas early Tuesday morning, where at least five vehicles were damaged, and two were set ablaze.
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Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), who oversees the department’s homeland security and investigative services division, said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that a suspect wearing all black clothing used a firearm and Molotov cocktails to conduct the attack.
The word “Resist” was spray-painted on the front doors of the business.
Doren said that in response to the attack, LVMPD has increased its police presence at local Tesla locations.
Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI Field Office, also spoke at the press conference, saying the incident has the “hallmarks” of domestic terrorism.
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“The FBI is working with our law enforcement partners to investigate a number of incidents in which Tesla charging stations and dealerships were damaged,” the bureau said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Incidents have occurred in several states and the FBI is coordinating with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to gather information. We would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious or have information about potential threats to report it to local law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI field office, or contact our tipline at 1-800-call-FBI.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Tesla for comment.
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Other cases of violence against Tesla owners and dealerships are piling up rapidly across the country.
In another suspected arson case, two Cybertrucks caught fire at a dealership in Kansas City on Monday. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a joint statement saying that they are working with the Kansas City Police Department to investigate.
“Similar incidents have occurred in several states and the FBI and ATF are coordinating with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to gather information,” the statement said.
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Police in Tigard, Oregon, have investigated two separate instances of shootings at a local Tesla dealership, one on March 13, and another on March 6.
During the March 13 incident, Tigard Police noted that “a dozen shots were fired at the dealership causing extensive damage to cars and showroom windows.”
They said on March 6 that at least seven shots were fired at the dealership.
“While the motivation for this has not been confirmed, we are aware that other Tesla dealerships have been targeted across Oregon and the nation for political reasons,” the police department said. “To ensure a thorough and broad-scope investigation, we are working with our federal partners, including the FBI and ATF, to investigate this case.”
On March 10, four Cybertrucks were set on fire at a Seattle dealership. The ATF is working with Seattle Police on that case.
In Colorado, Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, was arrested in late February after multiple explosives were found at a Tesla dealership. Nelson is accused of using a Molotov cocktail to attempt to set a Cybertruck on fire in one incident, and on a separate day, spray-painting the word “NAZI” on the dealership’s sign.
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Tesla vehicles are not the only target of anti-Musk rage.
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On March 7, a man now identified as Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly set fire to three Tesla vehicle charging stations in North Charleston, South Carolina.
According to a statement from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, Clarke was witnessed using Molotov cocktails during the incident and is accused of spray-painting “F— Trump, long live Ukraine,” near the scene.
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He was arrested by the ATF in conjunction with the North Charleston Police Department and charged with arson. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.