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Paul Hyon Kim gets 60 months for Las Vegas Tesla center attack
A federal judge sentenced Paul Hyon Kim to five years in prison for an attack that destroyed five vehicles at a Las Vegas Tesla Collision Center. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence.
A federal judge sentenced Las Vegas resident Paul Hyon Kim to 60 months in prison Wednesday for setting fire to vehicles at a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas and damaging others with gunfire. He must also serve three years of supervised release after prison; federal prosecutors had asked for a 20-year sentence.
Court records say Kim went to the repair center early March 18, 2025, carrying a .300 Blackout AR-style semiautomatic rifle. He shot two exterior security cameras, spray-painted “RESIST” on the entrance doors and fired multiple rounds at vehicles parked outside, investigators said.
Kim then threw three Molotov cocktails at three Tesla vehicles. Two exploded, while the third failed to ignite. The Justice Department said five vehicles were ultimately destroyed beyond repair. Kim left in his vehicle, according to the records.
Kim pleaded guilty in February 2026 to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey imposed the sentence.
“There is no place for violence as a means of resolving political differences in our democracy,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah said in a statement. She said the Justice Department would pursue legal consequences for people involved in domestic terrorism.