Man who set Teslas on fire at Las Vegas collision center changes plea

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man accused of setting Tesla vehicles on fire at Las Vegas collision center last year has changed his plea to plead guilty to federal charges. There was no plea agreement in place with prosecutors.

On Monday, Paul Kim appeared before Judge Jennifer Dorsey, who determined he was competent to enter a guilty plea to the following:

• two counts of arson
• one count of attempted arson
• one count of possessing an unregistered firearm

According to court records, Kim is facing up to 20 years in prison for each arson charge and up to 10 years in prison for the firearm charge. With all four charges combined, Kim is facing up to 70 years in prison with a 12-year period of supervised release, and a fine of up to $750,000.

Dorsey did not say if the sentences would be consecutive or concurrent.

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After the hearing, I asked Kim's attorneys why Kim decided to change his plea. It came down to two main factors: being able to appeal sentencing if they believe the court's reasoning is flawed, and other enhancements won't be applicable. For example, prosecutors were looking at possibly adding a domestic terrorism enhancement, which could have added decades to Kim's sentence.

In terms of how much time Kim will actually serve, his attorneys said based on existing precedent and cases that have been prosecuted in California and Arizona, they believe he could face between five and 20 years in prison.

A sentencing hearing has been set in federal court for May 27.

Kim is also facing over a dozen state charges, including arson, destroying property, possessing a firearm, and discharging a firearm into a vehicle. However, his attorneys said they believe those charges could be dropped as a result of Kim pleading guilty to federal charges.

When looking at state charges, court records show a status check is set for April 8.