*

Three charged with arson at Tesla sites, face 5-20 years

if

convicted

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Activists target Tesla over Musk's role in Trump

administration

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Trump labels violence as domestic terrorism

(Adds details of charges, background from paragraph 4 to end)

By Andrew Goudsward and Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General

Pamela Bondi said on Thursday three people have been charged in

connection with arson incidents at Tesla car dealerships and

charging stations.

The Justice Department said the individuals each face between

five and 20 years in prison if convicted.

"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," Bondi said.

All three defendants are accused of using incendiary devices

known as Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla

vehicles or charging stations. Prosecutors earlier announced

their arrests in all three cases.

Tesla has become a target of activists opposed to the

political agenda of President Donald Trump and the role of his

adviser Elon Musk, the electric car maker's CEO, in putting it

in motion. Musk is leading the administration's drive to slash

the federal payroll through the Department of Government

Efficiency.

In addition, Musk has orchestrated the cancellation of

contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development,

which funds humanitarian programs around the world.

The three people in the arson cases include Lucy Grace

Nelson, 42, who was charged in February with possession of a

destructive device and malicious destruction of property used in

interstate commerce. Nelson has pleaded not guilty and been

released on bond.

Nelson was spotted at a Tesla dealership in Loveland,

Colorado, on several occasions in January and February,

according to a criminal complaint. Police found a container of

gasoline, a box of bottles and wick material in Nelson's car,

according to the complaint.

Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is also facing a destructive device

charge after he was accused of throwing about eight Molotov

cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon. Lansky has

been ordered detained to await trial and has not yet entered a

plea.

Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, was charged earlier this month

after allegedly throwing incendiary devices at Tesla charging

stations in North Charleston, South Carolina. Witnesses reported

the man also spray-painted a profane message about Trump and the

words "Long Live Ukraine" in the parking lot, according to a

criminal complaint.

Clarke-Pounder is charged with malicious destruction of

property. He has not yet entered a plea and been released on

$10,000 bond.

The anti-Musk sentiment has also triggered a series of

"Tesla Takedown" protests at dealerships around the country in

recent weeks. Still relatively small-scale, the noisy

demonstrations have encouraged Americans to sell their Teslas

and the company's stock to protest the administration's cuts and

Musk's role at DOGE. The protests have led to arrests in some

cities.

In a show of support for Musk, Trump said last week that the

government would label any violence against Tesla dealerships as

domestic terrorism and perpetrators will "go through hell."

The labeling of the attacks as domestic terrorism, at this

stage, appears to be mainly about public messaging. There is no

criminal charge for domestic terrorism in the U.S. legal system,

but prosecutors can seek a longer prison term at sentencing if

they believe the crime was intended to intimidate the government

or its citizens.