A man who allegedly torched two vehicles at a Tesla dealership and painted “Die Elon” on the side of the building has been hit with federal charges, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.
The charges are the latest to be levied in connection to attacks on the EV maker whose boss, Elon Musk, has become a hate figure for some over his role in slashing government as a top adviser to President Donald Trump.
Two Tesla vehicles were badly damaged in the firebomb attack on a showroom in Albuquerque on February 9, and slogans likening Musk and his company to Nazis were sprayed on the walls.
Jamison Wagner, 40, who lives in the city in the western state of New Mexico, was also charged over a firebomb attack that hit an office of the state’s Republican Party last month.
If convicted on the two charges of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives, he could be jailed for up to 20 years on each ccharge, the Department of Justice said.
