Man Pleads Guilty to Ramming Car Into Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters in New York City
Dan Sohail admitted he drove into the synagogue four times, and prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines call for zero to six months in prison.
- On Wednesday, Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to intentionally damaging the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters by ramming his car into the building.
- The January 28 attack occurred during the 75th anniversary of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's leadership; Sohail cleared stanchions and rammed his vehicle into the entrance five consecutive times, causing roughly $19,000 in damage.
- Although facing a maximum three-year sentence, federal guidelines suggest Sohail could receive zero to six months in prison, as prosecutors did not pursue hate crime charges since intentionally damaging religious property is not categorized as such under federal law.
- Chabad spokesperson Yaacov Behrman expressed disappointment at the potential short sentence, arguing it sends a message that attacking Jewish people is acceptable, while Justice Department civil rights division chief Harmeet Dhillon called the conduct a targeted attack on religious liberty.
- Prosecutors acknowledged 'very significant mental health concerns' about Sohail at a March hearing, and the defendant remains jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn pending sentencing later this year.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Man pleads guilty to ramming Chabad HQ in Brooklyn with car, faces up to 3 years
A man accused of repeatedly ramming his car into Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn pleaded guilty to damaging religious property in federal court on Wednesday, officials said.
Man pleads guilty to ramming vehicle into Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn
A man has pleaded guilty to damaging religious property after he repeatedly rammed a vehicle into the entrance of Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, federal prosecutors said. Dan Sohail entered the guilty plea Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. He faces prison time and restitution when he is sentenced. The case was resolved without a hate crime convi…
NJ man obsessed with Judaism pleads guilty to federal charge for ramming car into NYC synagogue
A troubled New Jersey man who rammed his car into a historic Brooklyn synagogue just two days after he was removed from a Jewish educational center pleaded guilty to federal charges on Wednesday.
Guilty Plea in Damaging Attack on Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters
Dan Sohail has pleaded guilty to intentionally ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City, causing substantial damage. Although initially facing hate crime charges, he pleaded guilty to damaging religious property. The incident stirs concern over religious freedom and mental health considerations.
NJ driver pleads guilty to ramming car into Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn
A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to repeatedly ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City, telling a judge he did so because he was intent on damaging the Jewish landmark. Dan Sohail, 36, plowed an entrance to the packed Brooklyn synagogue with his car five consecutive times in January after clearing away stanchions and urging people to move out of the way, federal prosecutors said. He caused about $19,000 in dam…
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