Feds accuse man of ramming Jewish Chabad HQ with car

Federal prosecutors charged a man Monday with intentionally damaging religious property. Prosecutors said Dan Sohail, 36, repeatedly drove his car into the Brooklyn headquarters of a Jewish movement. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York accused Sohail of ramming his vehicle five times into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City back in January. If convicted, Sohail’s charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He is considered legally innocent until proven guilty.

New York police previously had Sohail charged with four counts of hate crime charges, including attempted assault, in state court. The Jewish movement, commonly known as Chabad, is an international Hasidic religious group that first began in Russia.

Assistant Attorney General Dhillon described Sohail’s actions as an attack on a house of worship. Americans should be free to practice their faith without fear, he said.

What do federal officials say happened? Sohail allegedly cleared barriers away from outside the religious building and urged people to move away from it, according to a federal complaint unsealed Monday. He then deliberately rammed his car into the structure five consecutive times, the complaint said. While the collision knocked the door off its hinges, no one was injured in the incident.

The crash occurred during the anniversary of the death of Chabad’s leader. Dozens of people were at the synagogue for an event marking the occasion, according to the criminal complaint.

What was Sohail’s side of the story? He told police the collision occurred after he lost control of the vehicle on icy roads. He wore heavy boots, and he told police that the boots caused his feet to slip and press the gas pedal, according to the criminal complaint. He also told police that he had visited the Chadbad headquarters before to learn about his Jewish heritage, which he recently discovered he had.

His father told The Daily News that his son did not have any hatred toward the Jews, but rather had “mental problems.” Sohail had been looking to convert to Judaism, his father told The New York Times.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report on the initial investigation into Sohail.