Dan Sohail has been charged in federal court in Brooklyn with intentionally damaging religious property, specifically the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The complaint was unsealed today and Sohail was taken into federal custody. He is scheduled to be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
The charge was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department.
“As alleged, the defendant’s conduct—driving his vehicle back and forth into an entrance of the synagogue five times— caused damage to a sacred religious institution,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will not tolerate conduct that endangers the safety of that community or any of our diverse communities. We will continue to protect religious gathering spaces to ensure worshippers are free to safely congregate.”
“Americans should be free to practice their faith without fearing defacement of their sacred places,” said Assistant Attorney General Dhillon. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship, and will vigorously prosecute those who carry them out.”
“Dan Sohail allegedly rammed his vehicle five times into the Chabad Headquarters during a packed memorial service. Sohail allegedly jeopardized dozens of lives and damaged one of our city’s sacred synagogues. The FBI and the NYPD will continue to protect our community’s religious institutions to ensure a safe place for all worshippers,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe city where they can practice their faith freely and without fear,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn is a sacred place for many Jews in New York City and around the world, and the purposeful destruction of this property is unacceptable. We will always work to ensure that those who violate the law are held accountable, and I thank our NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s office for working swiftly to pursue justice in this case.”
According to court documents, on January 28, 2026, Sohail drove to Chabad Headquarters on Eastern Parkway while it was hosting an event attended by dozens marking an anniversary related to its leader’s death. After moving protective barriers at a side entrance and signaling congregants away from danger, he returned to his car and drove it into that entrance five times in total, knocking off its door but causing no injuries.
Sohail faces up to three years if convicted but remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Silverberg and Brachah Goykadosh from sections focused on human trafficking, civil rights, and general crimes.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York oversees federal prosecutions—including civil rights cases—and represents government interests across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, and Suffolk County (official website). The office maintains locations both in Brooklyn and Central Islip (official website) as part of its mission as designated federal prosecutor’s office for these areas (official website). It also supports community outreach efforts along with victim assistance programs (official website).
