Federal prosecutors filed additional hate crime charges Tuesday against Larry Montes, the Bronx man accused of causing a violent disturbance during a Shabbat service at a New York City synagogue last week, CBS News reported.
Montes, 46, was already facing state charges over the Friday incident at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan, where authorities allege he attacked worshippers and committed religiously motivated offenses.
The Department of Justice announced several federal hate crime counts against Montes, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He was also charged with damaging religious property resulting in bodily injury, a federal offense punishable by up to 20 years behind bars.
"These charges serve as notice that the Department of Justice will intervene to protect the public in the face of antisemitic and racially motivated attacks," Assistant US Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. "The Civil Rights Division stands ready to combat assaults against worshippers and houses of worship. Americans' fundamental right to worship without fear of bias-motivated violence is sacrosanct and must be protected at all costs."
A congregant at Central Synagogue told CBS News New York Tuesday that the federal prosecution is needed to address and combat hate.
Montes appeared in court for the first time Saturday night. During the hearing, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office made public transcripts that detailed the allegations surrounding the synagogue incident.
According to prosecutors, Montes charged toward the rabbi while claiming he was "God." He allegedly damaged property, referred to the approximately 375 people attending the service as "fake Jews," and punched a 63-year-old woman in the face, causing her to fall.
Authorities further allege that Montes headbutted and spit at a Black security guard who was attempting to escort him from the synagogue, while also directing a racial slur at the guard.
Prosecutors said Montes later gave a statement after receiving Miranda warnings in which he allegedly acknowledged committing the acts and described them as religiously motivated. Authorities said he also expressed strong animosity toward Jewish and Black people.
According to the DOJ, Montes said, in part, "I will never affiliate with no filthy [expletive] synagogues, either here or in [expletive] Israel." Federal prosecutors also said he described the incident by saying "it's all a racial thing" and that it was "all religious motivated."
Montes has two previous misdemeanor convictions. A judge granted him bail following Saturday's court appearance, and he is scheduled to appear before a state judge Thursday.