Federal Charges Filed Against Man Who Drove Into NYC Jewish Headquarters

A 36-year-old man faces federal charges for deliberately driving his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City on January 28th. Despite the attack, family members and rabbis say Dan Sohail had been exploring Judaism and showed no anti-Semitic attitudes.

Federal prosecutors have filed charges against a 36-year-old man who deliberately crashed his vehicle into the world headquarters of Chabad Lubavitch in New York City last month.

Dan Sohail faced arraignment Monday afternoon in Brooklyn federal court on charges of intentionally damaging religious property following the January 28th incident. The crash caused damage to the entrance of the sacred Jewish site but resulted in no injuries.

Sohail’s legal representative did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

New York City police had already taken Sohail into custody at the scene and local prosecutors filed hate crime charges against him.

According to the federal complaint made public Monday, Sohail later informed authorities that he had recently discovered his Jewish ancestry and had received an invitation to visit the headquarters that evening to explore the faith’s customs.

Multiple individuals close to Sohail, including relatives and Chabad religious leaders, have stated that he showed no animosity toward Jewish people and had actually expressed desire to convert to Judaism.

Police records indicate that just weeks prior to the incident, Sohail participated in a social event at the Chabad headquarters, where surveillance footage captured him dancing alongside Orthodox Jewish men.

Speaking to The Daily News, Sohail’s father described his son as having “mental problems” while maintaining “a very good friendship, relationship with the Jews.”

Initially, Sohail told police that his “clunky boots” had caused him to slip and lose control of his car.

However, federal authorities allege that surveillance showed him moving several barriers and clearing snow from the sidewalk before repeatedly driving into the building at least five times.

The federal charge could result in up to three years imprisonment if prosecutors prove the property damage exceeded $5,000.

Sohail has remained in custody since his arrest but was temporarily transferred to U.S. Marshals for Monday’s federal court appearance, according to online records. His next appearance in the state case is scheduled for March 31st.

Chabad representatives have not responded to inquiries regarding the federal charges.

The vehicle crash happened exactly 75 years after Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson assumed leadership of the Lubavitch movement, raising immediate concerns throughout the city. Although Schneerson passed away in 1994, he continues to be honored worldwide.

Law enforcement has maintained a continuous presence around the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters for many years.

The location became the focal point of the Crown Heights riots in 1991, during which Black neighborhood residents attacked Jewish community members following a child’s death involving a vehicle in Schneerson’s convoy. In 2014, a mentally disturbed individual entered the synagogue and stabbed a rabbinical student before police fatally shot the attacker.