Man Charged Federally for Ramming Chabad HQ

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have charged a 36-year-old New Jersey man with intentionally damaging religious property after he repeatedly drove his car into the entrance of the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York City on January 28. Dan Sohail, who was arrested at the scene by New York Police Department officers, faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison if the damage exceeds $5,000, according to the criminal complaint unsealed Monday. The incident caused structural harm to the wooden doors at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood but resulted in no injuries.

Sohail had already been charged by state prosecutors with four counts of hate crimes the day after the event, which was captured on video. Footage shows a 2012 Honda Accord ramming the building's side entrance five times, with Sohail backing up and accelerating into the doors each time. According to the federal complaint, Sohail first removed protective stanchions and cleared snow from the sidewalk before getting back into the vehicle. He was wearing shorts, boots, and a midweight jacket at the time and was taken into custody immediately after exiting the car.