Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on May 13, 2026, to one federal count of intentionally damaging religious property under 18 U.S.C. § 247 [1]. The charge stems from a January 28, 2026, incident in which Sohail repeatedly drove his vehicle into the entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, while a memorial gathering was underway on the premises [2][3]. No injuries were reported from the ramming itself.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York brought the case under the Church Arson Prevention Act, which prohibits intentional destruction of religious real property [1]. Sohail faces a statutory maximum of three years in prison, though the applicable federal sentencing guidelines call for zero to six months of incarceration [1][3]. Notably, federal prosecutors did not charge Sohail with a hate crime, a decision that drew immediate criticism from Chabad-Lubavitch leadership, who argued the plea agreement failed to reflect the full character and apparent motivation of the attack [2]. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York were listed as supervising officials on the matter [1].
The January incident drew swift public attention given the symbolic weight of the target. The Crown Heights address serves as the international headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, one of the largest Hasidic Jewish organizations in the world. The attack occurred during an organized memorial event, heightening concern among community members and Jewish advocacy groups about antisemitic targeting of religious sites [2]. Despite those concerns, prosecutors concluded the evidentiary record supported the property damage charge rather than a bias-motivated offense under federal hate crime statutes.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano will preside [1]. Given the guideline range, a custodial sentence is possible but not presumptively required. The gap between the zero-to-six-month guideline range and the three-year statutory ceiling gives the court meaningful discretion, and victim-impact submissions from the Chabad community are expected to feature in the presentencing process [2]. Whether Judge Vitaliano departs upward from the guideline range will likely determine whether the outcome satisfies the community's call for a more substantial sentence.