DOJ Seeks 20-Year Prison Term for Alleged Tesla Dealership Bomber
DOJ Pursues 20-Year Term for Alleged Tesla Dealership Bomber
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced its intention to seek a 20-year federal prison sentence for Cooper Jo Frederick, the 24-year-old Colorado resident accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on March 7, 2025. Federal authorities have characterized the attack as part of an escalating campaign of “domestic terrorism” aimed at Tesla properties, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has signaled that the full weight of federal law will be brought to bear against anyone found responsible for such violent acts.
The March 7 Firebombing: Facts and Immediate Response
Shortly after midnight on March 7, surveillance cameras at the Tesla dealership in Loveland captured an individual approaching the premises carrying a homemade incendiary device. Investigators report that the device—constructed from common household materials and accelerants—was hurled through the showroom window, where it exploded on the showroom floor between two charging stations. The resulting fire sent plumes of black smoke billowing into the early morning sky and left a charred crater in the polished concrete.
Fortunately, no employees were present in the immediate impact zone, though two staff members performing routine cleaning duties heard the explosion and fled to safety. Local fire crews arrived within minutes and extinguished the blaze before it spread to the building’s structural supports. Loveland Police Department officers secured the scene, preserved evidence of accelerant residue, and recovered fragments of burner assemblies that would later prove critical for the federal case.
Intensive Investigation and Interstate Arrest
Within hours of the incident, the Loveland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched a joint investigation, gathering surveillance footage from nearby businesses and canvassing for witnesses. Fingerprint and DNA swabs taken from storm window glass were sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, while cell-site analysis helped trace a suspicious device purchase to an address in Fort Collins.
Over the next three weeks, a multi-agency task force, operating under the DOJ’s “Operation Take Back America” initiative, tracked the suspect’s movements to Plano, Texas. On March 27, FBI agents, with support from the local Frisco Police Department and ATF field officers, executed a pre-dawn arrest at a suburban residence. At the scene, agents recovered additional explosive components and social media notebooks that indicated intent to strike further Tesla facilities. Frederick was transported back to Colorado under tight security before making his initial appearance in federal court.
