EVwire brief: Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson confirmed that state charges against suspect Paul Hyon Kim will no longer be pursued — to allow the federal case to take precedence, with prosecutors stating that the federal system is likely to result in a longer prison sentence.
Kim has already pleaded guilty and admitted using Molotov cocktails to set vehicles on fire at the Tesla Las Vegas service center last year, firing a gun at parked cars, and vandalizing the property by spray-painting the word “RESIST” on the building
Photograph: Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP (source)
Context:
The charges he pleaded guilty to include two counts of arson, one count of attempted arson, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Kim is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27 in federal court.
Prosecutors indicated that the potential federal sentence could reach up to 20 years, significantly higher than what may have resulted from state-level prosecution.
“We strongly believe that this defendant would receive an increased prison sentence in the federal system as compared to the state system. This defendant has pled guilty and is pending sentencing in federal court. It is my understanding that he faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years.”
While attacks against Tesla vehicles and Tesla stores have generally stopped, some incidents of arson are still reported today. At the end of March, a Tesla showroom in Parramatta (NSW), Australia, became the victim of an alleged arson attack.
The incident resulted in three vehicles burning down, though Tesla Australia confirmed that the fires were not caused by the cars’ batteries. Read more in our story:
Source: Fox 5 Las Vegas
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