Attorney general seeks long prison sentence for alleged Tesla attacker

President Donald Trump vowed severe consequences in late March for anyone who dared mess with his pal Elon Musk’s Tesla dealerships. Now, his loyal enforcer—Attorney General Pam Bondi—is making good on that threat, announcing that she’s pushing for a staggering 20-year prison sentence for a man accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership.

Bondi said on Monday that the Justice Department had unsealed federal charges against Cooper Jo Frederick, 24, who allegedly attacked a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on March 7.

“I’ve made it clear: If you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars,” Bondi said in a video statement, adding, “All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating. We are seeking 20 years in prison.”

Frederick was initially charged under state law for possession of an incendiary device, arson, and criminal mischief before the FBI later arrested him in Plano, Texas, following an FBI investigation, Bondi said. She did not specify what federal charges Frederick faces.

Trump’s allies initially tried to paint even peaceful critics of Tesla as domestic terrorists, though they quickly realized law enforcement wouldn’t slap that label on petty vandalism. (Musk, however, still insists the attacks on his dealerships amount to “terrorism.”) 

Instead, Bondi seems to be leaning on a federal statute, which reads: 

Whoever maliciously damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce or in any activity affecting interstate or foreign commerce shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years.

Frederick isn’t the only one in the crosshairs over the Loveland dealership attack. Lucy Grace Nelson, 40, was separately arrested in February with “criminal intent to commit a felony, criminal mischief, and using explosives or incendiary devices during a felony at the dealership,” according to Business Insider, which cited Colorado police records.

Notably, the Loveland, Colorado, dealership Frederick allegedly targeted had been the site of five other crimes recently, law enforcement officials told a local Fox affiliate. And it’s not just U.S.-based Tesla dealerships facing attacks: More than a dozen Teslas went up in flames at a dealership in Rome, in what authorities suspect was arson.

What Musk’s friends in Trump’s Cabinet—and Musk himself—conveniently ignore is why people are targeting Tesla. It’s not just random vandalism; it’s a backlash. Musk has been needlessly slashing federal jobs and federal funding, and he’s meddling in the larger political landscape. It’s no wonder his automotive company is feeling the heat—not just from activists but from the stock market too.

Bondi’s aggressive sentencing request sends a clear message: Under Trump’s watch, attacks on Musk’s empire will be met with the state’s brutal force. Meanwhile, critics can’t help but note the hypocrisy, given how selectively this administration chooses to throw the book at criminals.

Of course, the same administration that wants to lock this guy up for two decades has been remarkably silent on political violence when it suits their interests. When Trump supporters stormed the Capitol? When his allies harassed election workers? Not exactly the same level of urgency.

But when it comes to protecting Musk—one of Trump’s favorite billionaires—suddenly, the administration is all about law and order.