Attorney General Bondi says she has charged three individuals for crimes related to the recent string of firebombings of Tesla dealerships and charging stations across the country, which are being motivated by agitators’ hate for Elon Musk and his role in the federal government. President Trump has said these attacks are being designated as acts of domestic terrorism. The Justice Department says the charges against the three individuals are “severe,” and that all three alleged attackers could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Ms. Bondi said in a statement 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.”Law enforcement says all three attempted to use Molotov cocktails to destroy cars at three different Tesla locations in Oregon, Colorado, and South Carolina. “One defendant, also armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle, was arrested after throwing approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership” in Oregon, the Justice Departments announcement states. Another defendant from Loveland, Colorado is accused by federal protesters of attempting to burn the cars while also allegedly being in possession of materials to make additional incendiary devices. The third defendant from South Carolina is accused of writing “profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails.”According to federal prosecutors in South Carolina, the charging station attacker, Daniel Clarke-Pounder wrote messages such as “F–k Trump” and “Long Live Ukraine” before throwing five Molotov cocktails at the charging stations. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms located Mr. Clarke-Pounder within a matter of hours. The alleged Oregon attacker, Matthew Lansky, was arrested by federal law enforcement officers on March 5. “Surveillance footage obtained from the car dealership appeared to show Lansky throwing Molotov cocktails that struck a dealership building and several vehicles, causing fires,” federal prosecutors say. “Surveillance video from a patrol car captured a vehicle parked near the dealership while Lansky is alleged to have discharged multiple firearm rounds into a building and at least one vehicle.”Tesla sales have slumped in recent months, and the company’s stock is down nearly 40 percent year-to-date. Even while serving as a senior advisor to the president, Mr. Musk has been getting public support from members of the Trump administration, including his close friend, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. During an interview on Wednesday night, Mr. Lutnick encouraged people to buy Tesla stock. Just weeks ago, as the attacks on the dealership and charging stations kicked off and the market seemed to sour on the electric vehicle giant, Mr. Trump himself had a showroom-style event for Mr. Musk’s cars. The president went so far as to buy three of the vehicles. At that event, Mr. Trump said attacks on Tesla dealerships would be considered acts of domestic terrorism. “I will do that. I’ll do it,” Mr. Trump told a reporter after being asked about the Justice Department doing something to add terrorism charges, though no specifics were offered. “When you do that, those people are gonna go through a big problem when we catch them,” the president said. “Has there ever been such a level of coordinated violence against a peaceful company?” Mr. Musk wrote on X on Thursday. “I understand not wanting to buy a product, but this is extreme arson and destruction!” He added in a separate post that his company has “ramped up security and activated Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores.”
