Man Charged With Ramming Vehicle Into Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters in Brooklyn
A man has been charged in federal court with intentionally damaging the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors say Dan Sohail drove his vehicle repeatedly into an entrance of the Chabad headquarters on Eastern Parkway on the evening of Jan. 28 while the building was hosting a memorial event attended by dozens of people.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday, Sohail first exited his vehicle and removed barriers set up outside the building before gesturing for congregants to move away. He then returned to his car and drove it into the side entrance of the building, reversing and ramming the entrance four additional times. The impact knocked the door off its hinges, authorities said. No injuries were reported.
Sohail was taken into federal custody Monday and is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn before Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Prosecutors said the building serves as the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and includes a synagogue and other religious gathering spaces.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the Justice Department would pursue the case vigorously, emphasizing that Americans must be able to practice their faith without fear of attacks on houses of worship.
U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Nocella for the Eastern District of New York said the alleged actions endangered the safety of the community and that federal authorities would continue to protect religious gathering spaces.
Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department said the incident occurred during a memorial service marking the anniversary of the death of the movement’s leader, when the synagogue was crowded with attendees.
Sohail is charged with intentionally damaging religious property. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The charge is an allegation, and Sohail is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Oregon Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Anti-Gay Hate Crime
A man from Springfield has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for a violent hate crime targeting a victim because of sexual orientation, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Daniel Andrew McGee, 26, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release in U.S. District Court in Oregon. McGee pleaded guilty in November 2025 to a federal hate crime involving an attempted killing.
According to court documents, the attack occurred on July 5, 2021, after McGee contacted the victim through Grindr, a dating app primarily used by gay men. Prosecutors said McGee arranged to meet the victim at the victim’s apartment, where he launched a prolonged assault.
Authorities said McGee struck the victim in the head with a wooden tire thumper and attempted to gouge the victim’s eyes with his hands. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries, including serious head wounds.
Investigators later determined McGee had planned the attack for weeks. Prosecutors said he conducted internet searches for homophobic and violent anti-gay content and researched ways to evade detection before purchasing the weapon and other materials online.
A federal grand jury in Eugene indicted McGee in November 2021 on a charge of committing a hate crime involving an attempt to kill.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon said the case underscores the importance of protecting people from violence motivated by bias. Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Portland Field Office said hate crimes harm both victims and the broader communities they belong to.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime in Stabbing Attack on Bus Passenger
A man in Washington state has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime charge after attacking and attempting to stab a Black woman on a public bus because of her race, federal authorities said.
Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral admitted in court to assaulting the woman on March 7, 2024, while riding a bus operated by King County Metro.
According to court records, Hernandez-Mayoral made derogatory comments about Black people while on the bus and directed racially charged insults at the victim, referring to her as “Rosa Parks” and telling her to move to the back of the bus.
Prosecutors said the woman walked to the front of the bus to seek help and call police, but Hernandez-Mayoral followed her. When the bus stopped, he pushed her off the vehicle and repeatedly assaulted her before pulling out a knife and stabbing at her several times.
The victim was wearing a heavy coat that prevented the knife from piercing her skin, though she suffered bodily injuries during the attack, authorities said.
Police from the Kent Police Department located Hernandez-Mayoral shortly afterward hiding under a car and arrested him.
