A New Jersey resident has admitted in federal court to a targeted vehicular assault on a prominent New York synagogue earlier this year, NJ.com reports.
Dan Sohail, a resident of Carteret, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday to the charge of damaging religious property, according to a formal statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The incident took place on the night of January 28 at the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters located on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The site was particularly crowded at the time, as congregants had gathered to observe the anniversary of the passing of the Chabad movement’s leader.
Federal prosecutors detailed a chilling sequence of events. Upon arriving at the iconic building, Sohail exited his vehicle to manually remove traffic barriers that had been placed to protect the facility. After gesturing for bystanders to move aside, he returned to his car and accelerated into the side entrance of the building.
Sohail did not stop after the initial collision. Officials stated that he reversed and rammed the entrance four additional times, eventually causing the door to be ripped from its hinges.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, condemned the assault as a fundamental violation of American values.
“The defendant’s dangerous conduct was a targeted attack on the religious liberty and peace of worship to which every American is entitled. Today’s conviction sends a clear message: the Department of Justice will not tolerate acts of hatred and violence against religious institutions."
Following his guilty plea for the Brooklyn attack, Sohail faces a maximum of three years in federal prison. The court will also mandate that he pay full restitution to the Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters for the structural damage he caused.
The incident occurred amid a sharp spike in antisemitism in New York.