The Las Vegas man arrested for the attack on Tesla’s Las Vegas repair facility last year has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, significantly less than the 20-year sentence prosecutors had requested.
Paul Hyon Kim was sentenced on October 14, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 60 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release.
The sentence was the result of a March 18, 2025, attack on the Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas, which left five vehicles destroyed beyond repair.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Kim arrived at the facility in the early morning hours armed with a .300 Blackout AR-platform semiautomatic rifle.
He first shot out two exterior security cameras before spray-painting “RESIST” across the building’s entrance doors. Kim then fired multiple rounds into parked Tesla vehicles and threw three Molotov cocktails into separate cars.
Two of the incendiary devices exploded, setting the vehicles on fire, while the third failed to ignite.
In February 2026, Kim admitted to two arson charges and one attempted arson charge, all tied to property used in interstate commerce, along with illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device.
The attack came amid a wave of vandalism and arson targeting Tesla facilities and vehicles, as protests against CEO Elon Musk and his political involvement intensified.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in domestic terrorism will suffer severe legal consequences,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah.
Related Articles:
- Tesla Cybertruck Arsonist in Arizona Gets Five-Year Prison Sentence
- Tesla Superchargers and Vehicles Targeted in Suspected Arson Attacks
- Tesla Supercharger Set On Fire in Nanaimo, BC
- Tesla set on fire at mall in London, Ontario
Always get the latest - make Drive Tesla your preferred source on Google
Are you buying a Tesla? If you enjoy our content and we helped in your decision, use our referral link to get three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD).Drive Tesla uses affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
