Brooklyn, NY (May 14, 2026)
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court after admitting that he intentionally rammed his vehicle into the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway earlier this year.
Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, New Jersey, entered a guilty plea Wednesday to one count of intentionally damaging religious property. The federal civil rights charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, along with possible fines and restitution connected to the damage caused to the building.
The incident took place on January 28, while dozens of people were inside 770 for a major Chabad gathering. Prosecutors said Sohail drove a 2012 Honda Accord to a side entrance of the building, moved protective barriers, signaled for people nearby to move away, and then repeatedly drove into the entrance. The impact damaged the door and the front of the vehicle. No injuries were reported.
During the court appearance, Sohail admitted that he drove to the building with the intent to damage it because it was the Chabad headquarters. The plea resolves the federal case, though prosecutors did not pursue a hate crime charge as part of the agreement.
Authorities initially investigated the incident as a hate crime, but federal prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to secure that specific charge. Sentencing guidelines are expected to be significantly lower than the maximum penalty, with a possible range of zero to six months in prison.
The attack caused concern throughout Crown Heights and the broader Jewish community, particularly because it targeted one of the most recognizable Jewish religious sites in the world during a heavily attended event.
Sohail is expected to be sentenced later this year after probation officials submit their recommendation. He is being transferred from Rikers Island to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while the case moves toward sentencing.
Chabad representatives and community members expressed concern that a short sentence would fail to reflect the seriousness of an intentional attack on a Jewish house of worship.