‘If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars,’ Pam Bondi says.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on March 20 warned people against carrying out attacks on Tesla dealerships or products, as she announced that three individuals who allegedly did so are facing federal charges.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” 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 is a White House adviser who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Daniel Clarke-Pounder, one of the alleged criminals, was charged with arson of property in interstate commerce after authorities said they identified him as the man who vandalized and set fire to a Tesla charging station in North Charleston, South Carolina, according to charging documents filed on March 14.
Clarke-Pounder used spray paint to write “[Expletive] Trump” and “Long Live Ukraine” before lighting beer bottles on fire and hurling them at the station, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent said. Search warrants uncovered evidence linking Clarke-Pounder to the arson, including the sweatshirt the suspect was wearing in surveillance videos. Agents also found a notebook in Clarke-Pounder’s residence that outlined statements opposing DOGE.
Clarke-Pounder, who was released on March 17 while the case against him proceeds, has not yet entered a plea. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
In another incident, Adam Matthew Lansky was charged with illegal possession of a destructive device, according to a criminal complaint lodged on March 3 and later unsealed.
Lansky was identified as the person who threw Molotov cocktails at Tesla vehicles and a dealership in Salem, Oregon, on Jan. 20, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in an affidavit. The attack caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.
Lansky returned to the dealership on Feb. 29 and allegedly fired gunshots into it, causing additional damage, according to the court filing. FBI analysis found Lansky’s fingerprints on items found at the scene.
