US Justice DepartmentUS Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that three defendants accused of vandalism targeting Elon Musk’s Tesla electric vehicle company could face up to 20 years in prison.
Bondi said the damage to Tesla cars, dealerships and charging stations was “domestic terrorism”.
Arrests and charges against the three suspects were previously announced by prosecutors.
Tesla dealerships across the country have been targeted in a wave of protests, but also vandalism and arson attacks, in response to Musk’s influence over the Trump administration.
There is no specific US law against domestic terrorism, but prosecutors can request longer prison sentences if convicted criminals have a terrorism-related motive.
Trump and Musk have called the attacks domestic terrorism, too. Supporters of the administration have also reportedly been “swatted” – subjected to armed police raids after hoax emergency calls.
A statement from the Department of Justice on Thursday did not name the suspects in the Tesla vandalism. However, the details of the three cases outlined in the news release match arrests and charges previously announced by prosecutors.
The suspects include Lucy Nelson, 42, who was charged with possession of a destructive device and malicious destruction of property after being spotted near the site of a Tesla dealership in Colorado.
The dealership had been targeted with a Molotov cocktail attack and graffiti which caused damage of between $5,000 and $20,000, according to a criminal complaint. That suspect has pleaded not guilty.
US Department of JusticeAdam Matthew Lansky, 41, was charged with possession of a destructive device after Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon. He has yet to enter a plea and will face a preliminary hearing in April.
The third, 24-year-old Daniel Clarke-Pounder, was charged with arson after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Tesla charging stations in North Charleston, South Carolina, and spray-painting the car park.
In a statement, Bondi said: “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended.
“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.”
The attorney general said the three suspects could face between five and 20 years in prison if convicted.
The BBC attempted to contact lawyers for the three defendants.
Reuters