A 19-year-old trans-identifying teenager is facing up to 30 years in federal prison after being charged in connection with the firebombing of multiple Tesla Cybertrucks in what the Department of Justice (DOJ) has categorized as a serious national security case.
Owen McIntire, a Kansas City native and university student, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of malicious destruction of property and unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device.
The first charge carries a mandatory five-year minimum sentence. If convicted on both counts, McIntire could remain incarcerated until age 49.
The incident occurred on March 17 around 11:15 p.m., when several Tesla Cybertrucks were set ablaze outside a Kansas City Tesla dealership.
According to investigators, a Molotov cocktail was used to ignite one vehicle, with the flames spreading to others nearby and damaging two charging stations.
Police said a second incendiary device was recovered but failed to detonate.
Federal authorities stated that surveillance footage captured an individual, later identified as McIntire, throwing a lit, fuel-filled bottle—believed to be an apple cider vinegar container—at a Cybertruck.
Nearby business and residential security cameras, along with footage from the Tesla Center, allegedly showed the suspect dressed in dark clothing and a wide-brimmed hat, similar to one found at the scene.
Investigators said McIntire was identified through traffic camera footage, phone records, GPS data and airport surveillance, which reportedly tracked his movements before and after the attack.
DNA analysis on the recovered hat allegedly matched a single male profile, which authorities linked to McIntire. He was later arrested on the University of Massachusetts campus.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the charges in April, calling the attack part of a broader rise in politically motivated vandalism.
She stated that the case had been elevated to the DOJ’s national security division.
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” Bondi said, according to the Daily Mail.
“You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars.”
McIntire, who had reportedly begun sex-change treatments shortly before the incident, was granted pre-trial release after his attorneys argued that he required continued access to medical care.
They also cited his diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and depression, as Resist the Mainstream previously reported.
The defense pointed to McIntire’s lack of criminal history and local family ties as evidence that he is not a flight risk.
Federal prosecutors had requested pre-trial detention, arguing that McIntire posed a threat to public safety.
McIntire is now confined to his parents’ home in Parkville, Missouri, under electronic monitoring.
As part of his release conditions, he must participate in mental health programs, take all prescribed medications and avoid any Tesla properties, the Daily Mail reports.
President Donald Trump responded to the Tesla attacks in a statement calling them “terrorism,” pointing to growing threats against businesses aligned with his administration.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk had been a target of backlash in recent months following his involvement in federal agency downsizing initiatives.
McIntire’s trial is scheduled to begin August 11.
The post ‘Trans’ Teen Faces up to 30 Years in Prison After Explosive Tesla Firebombing Tied to National Security Investigation appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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