LAS VEGAS MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ARMED ARSON ATTACK ON TESLA COLLISION CENTER

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — A Las Vegas man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for carrying out an armed attack against a Tesla repair facility, where he disabled surveillance cameras with a semiautomatic rifle, fired into parked vehicles, and deployed incendiary devices that left five vehicles destroyed beyond repair.

Paul Hyon Kim received the sentence on October 14, 2026, from U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey in the District of Nevada. The court imposed 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, substantially below the 240-month sentence requested by federal prosecutors.

The sentencing followed Kim’s February 2026 guilty plea to four federal offenses arising from the March 18, 2025, attack at the Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas.

According to federal court documents and statements presented during the proceedings, Kim approached the facility during the early morning hours armed with a .300 Blackout AR-platform semiautomatic rifle. He shot out two exterior surveillance cameras before spray-painting the word “RESIST” across the building’s double entrance doors.

Kim then fired several rounds into Tesla vehicles parked outside the repair center before throwing three Molotov cocktails into separate vehicles. Two of the incendiary devices ignited, producing fires that engulfed vehicles on the property. The third device failed to detonate.

Five Tesla vehicles were ultimately destroyed beyond repair. After the attack, Kim fled the scene on foot, returned to his vehicle, and drove away.

Federal prosecutors established that the firearm used during the incident was a PA-15 multicaliber weapon fitted with a .300 Blackout upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer. The details were included in the Justice Department’s February 24, 2026, announcement confirming Kim’s guilty plea.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) deployed specialized personnel to assist with the investigation. The response included a certified fire investigator, bomb technician, certified explosives specialist, accelerant-detection canine, and special agents assigned to the local field office.

ATF’s Arson Task Force, a partnership with the Clark County Fire Department, also participated in the response. Fire investigators play an important role in determining the origin and cause of deliberately set fires, while explosives specialists can examine incendiary devices and associated evidence.

In February 2026, Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.

The federal charges carried a combined statutory maximum of 70 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years. The final sentence matched the statutory minimum identified by prosecutors when Kim entered his guilty plea.

Federal arson law, under 18 U.S.C. § 844(i), covers the malicious destruction or attempted destruction by fire or explosives of property used in interstate or foreign commerce or in activities affecting such commerce. Its application extends to qualifying commercial facilities and property involved in interstate business operations.

The destructive-device charge addresses a separate federal firearms violation. Under the National Firearms Act, certain explosive and incendiary weapons, including qualifying Molotov cocktails, are classified as destructive devices and subject to federal registration requirements.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada characterized the attack as politically motivated violence and emphasized that criminal destruction cannot be justified as a response to political disagreements. Her statement invoked domestic terrorism concerns, although Kim’s announced convictions were for arson, attempted arson, and unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device rather than a separate terrorism offense.

Christopher S. Delzotto, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office, credited cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities for the investigation and prosecution.

John Wester, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s San Francisco Field Division, emphasized the agency’s responsibility to investigate violent crimes involving firearms, explosives, and deliberately set fires. Wester also acknowledged the specialized personnel and Clark County Fire Department resources deployed to examine the scene.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ATF, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Operskalski and Dan Cowhig prosecuted the federal case.

The attack raised serious public safety concerns because it combined rifle fire with multiple incendiary devices at a commercial automotive facility. Such conduct creates risks extending beyond property destruction, including the potential spread of fire to nearby vehicles, structures, and responding emergency personnel.

With his guilty plea and sentencing complete, Kim faces five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for the March 2025 attack.

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