A New Jersey man has been charged with intentionally damaging religious property after allegedly ramming his car into the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn. Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, N.J., was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors over allegations that he repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the synagogue's side entrance on January 28.
Key Takeaways
A New Jersey man has been charged with intentionally damaging religious property after allegedly ramming his car into the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn. Dan Sohail pleaded not guilty to federal charges and faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
- Federal prosecutors arrested Dan Sohail, 36, for allegedly ramming his vehicle into a Brooklyn synagogue on January 28.
- The incident occurred at the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters during an event marking the death anniversary of the movement's leader.
- No injuries were reported, but the entrance door was damaged. Sohail claimed icy conditions and heavy boots caused him to lose control of his vehicle.
- Sohail faces up to three years' imprisonment if convicted.
The incident occurred at around 8:40 p.m. EST during an event marking the death anniversary of the movement's leader. According to a complaint unsealed Monday, Sohail drove to the side entrance, exited his vehicle, and moved stanchions placed to protect the building. He allegedly gestured for bystanders to move away from the entrance before returning to his car and driving into the building multiple times.
Prosecutors accused Sohail of ramming the building four times, breaking the entrance door off its hinges while destroying the bumper of his vehicle. No injuries were reported. After being taken into police custody, Sohail allegedly told investigators that icy conditions and heavy boots caused him to lose control of the vehicle.
Sohail has been charged with intentionally damaging religious property, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison if the damage is found to have exceeded $5,000. He pleaded not guilty to federal charges during his arraignment on Monday afternoon and was held without bail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.
Sohail's attorney, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, stated that Sohail’s actions were not intentional in the manner described by the government. She mentioned that Sohail is in the process of converting to Judaism and had visited the Chabad-Lubavitch site before. Several people close to Sohail have said he did not seem to harbor any hatred toward Jews but suffered from mental health issues.
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