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Federal Case Charges N.J. Man in Car-Ramming at Chabad Headquarters

The case advances in federal court parallel to a separate state hate-crime prosecution, with a judge indicating a need for a mental-health evaluation.

Overview

  • Dan Sohail, 36, was taken into federal custody and arraigned in Brooklyn on Monday, with the detention hearing set to continue Wednesday.
  • A federal complaint alleges he moved barriers and then drove into the synagogue’s side entrance five times on Jan. 28 during a crowded observance, knocking a door off its hinges; no injuries were reported.
  • He is charged with intentionally damaging religious property, an offense carrying up to three years in prison if damage exceeds $5,000, or up to one year if it does not.
  • Federal charging papers do not allege a bias motive, while state hate-crime counts remain pending with $500,000 bail and a March 31 court date.
  • Filings note he had recently explored Jewish heritage and visited Chabad sites, and he told police he lost control because his heavy boots slipped on icy conditions.