New: We have obtained the confidential, at-present-undocketed (or potentially under seal) 150 page+ deposition transcript of Karl Hansen in the $TSLA v. Tripp case. Hansen makes some absolutely stunning allegations on the record that could land people in federal prison.
First, the transcript describes a "device" that Tesla security used to intercept the personal cell phones of employees at the Nevada factory. This has been reported on previously in part, but never fully described. The device sounds like a Stingray based on its description.
Hansen would be the *second* person who worked at the NV factory to describe this. Wiretapping is a federal crime. Using a Stingray (which is normally something only law enforcement uses) to illegally wiretap thousands of employees—in a two-party consent state—is a problem.
Second, Hansen describes two issues involving a Mexican drug cartel based out of Sonora state in Mexico. Problem number one: at least five drug cartel employees worked for $TSLA at the factory, and were later indicted in USA v. Mora. plainsite.org/dockets/3zq7vd…
Problem number two: aside from the local police reports describing drug use within the factory, Tesla commissioned an "off the books" investigation to determine if the cartel was using $TSLA as a conduit for drugs more broadly. Tesla has an interest in a lithium mine in Sonora.
In the transcript, Hansen alleges that he was retaliated against when his investigation into the cartel activity started to get a little bit too concerning. Eventually he was fired; he also filed an SEC whistleblower complaint which has been pending.
Third, Hansen describes a culture of incredible risk-taking at the Nevada factory. A fire broke out when *sensors on machines were taped over*, causing lithium-ion batteries to fall off a conveyor belt mechanism. In addition, there are considerable details about scrap.
There are varying calculations used to guess at how much scrap material was generated by Tesla in Nevada in 2018, but numbers in the transcript range from $37 million to over $100 million. This gives credence to this aspect of Martin Tripp's whistleblower claims.
The scrap issue is reportedly something Elon Musk knew about and was concerned about. $TSLA is also described as having stored volatile lithium-ion batteries as well as other parts in unrefrigerated trailers in the Nevada desert, posing an obvious fire and explosion hazard.
Needless to say, shareholders were never notified of these issues. The full transcript is available on PlainSite at: plainsite.org/documents/1pis…
Keep in mind, this is a deposition transcript, not the result of an investigative body. Not every single claim is verified, and Hansen both admits to a DUI charge from 1996 and has no background in IT. But certain allegations are consistent with reporting from other sources.
One of the less reliable aspects of the transcript is the use of the word "hacking," which has been thrown around by Tesla's lawyers regarding Martin Tripp, and by Hansen about Tesla. While it's possible that Tesla did "hack" Tripp as is alleged...
...the word is being used by all parties often to mean someone did something with a computer that they didn't like or understand. In Tripp's case, he wrote a standard query to derive information from a database he had access to.
It's less clear why Tesla would have had any legitimate involvement with electronic devices belonging to Martin Tripp's wife, which suggests that perhaps some kind of malfeasance did take place.
