Clark County District Court Judge Ronald Israel has sentenced Colorado dentist Mohammed Mesmarian to a minimum two years in prison for disabling a solar power plant in the Las Vegas area.
set his car on fire to disable the plant
Mesmarian drove through the fence of the Mega Solar Array facility in January 2023 before proceeding to set his car on fire to disable the plant. According to 8 News Now, the southern Nevada solar facility powers properties belonging to MGM Resorts International.
Mesmarian, who has already spent a year behind bars, originally faced charges of committing an act of terrorism.
Instead, Judge Israel on Tuesday sentenced the dentist with felony arson and property destruction following his plea of mental illness in November. According to court documents, Mesmarian sat in a chair for around 15 minutes watching his car burn.
Mesmarian’s attorney said his client’s act was less about terrorism but more a man “going through personal issues during COVID, the loss of a marriage and his business.”
Although the judge sentenced Mesmarian to two to ten years, as he’s served time already, he could be up for parole in early 2024. According 8 News Now, the dentist apologized to the owners of the solar plant and his parents, stating: “I was not in my right state of mind.”