The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a UMass Boston student on charges relating to an alleged firebombing of a Tesla dealership in Kansas City, Missouri.
Agents arrived on campus early Friday morning, said DeWayne Lehman, the university’s director of communications. He also confirmed the arrest was not related to the Trump administration’s recent revocation of 11 student visas at UMass Boston.
“Per its standard protocol, Campus Police reviewed and confirmed the agents were acting on an authorized warrant signed by a United States Magistrate Judge and accompanied them as they executed the warrant,” wrote Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Karen Ferrer-Muñiz, who oversees the UMass Boston Police Department. “The student was arrested without incident and is now in federal custody.”
The student “is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce,” the Department of Justice wrote in a press release.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the first count, and “not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years” in prison for the second count, according to U.S. Code.
The Associated Press reports that there has been an uptick in attacks against Tesla dealerships — including arsons and shootings — since President Donald Trump took office. The electric car brand’s CEO, Elon Musk, is a close ally of Trump, leading the administration’s efforts to slash government spending.
“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press release. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes.”
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a press release. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
This is a developing story. Follow along for live updates.
