3 alleged Tesla attackers could face up to 20 years for Molotov cocktails
Three individuals are facing "serious charges" for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to set Tesla cars and charging stations on fire, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “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.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's work through the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to drastically slash the federal workforce has sparked protests, lawsuits and some cases of vandalism by opponents.
The Justice Department announced the charges in a Thursday press release that didn't include the defendants' names, but spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle confirmed the defendants are Adam Matthew Lansky, Lucy Grace Nelson, and Daniel Brendan Kurt Clarke-Pounder. The press release said each of them "faces serious charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison."
'Profane messages' and AR-15 rifle: what's alleged
One of the defendants, Adam Matthew Lansky, allegedly threw about eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon while armed with an AR-15 rifle, according to the announcement.
Lucy Grace Nelson, the department alleged, was apprehended in Loveland, Colorado after trying to light Teslas on fire, and was later found to have materials for producing more incendiary weapons. A March 5 indictment charges Nelson with illegally possessing firearms and trying to commit arson against vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce.
In Charleston, South Carolina, the third defendant, Daniel Brendan Kurt Clarke-Pounder, "wrote profane messages" about President Donald Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the stations on fire with Molotov cocktails, the Justice Department alleged. A March 14 criminal complaint charges Clarke-Pounder with committing arson on property in interstate commerce.
Lawyers for Lansky, Nelson, and Clarke-Pounder didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Contributing: Gabrielle Banks
This story has been updated with additional information.