A New Jersey man has been sentenced to six months and one week in jail for intentionally ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn earlier this year. Dan Sohail, 36, was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
Sohail was charged with intentionally damaging religious property and pleaded guilty in May. The sentence allows for his release in approximately one week, as he has already spent six months in custody. Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month sentence, citing a rise in antisemitic hate crimes and seeking to deter future attacks on Jewish institutions.
On January 28, Sohail repeatedly drove his vehicle into the building's side entrance, moving protective barriers and striking the door five times. The incident caused damage, knocking the door off its hinges and destroying his car's front bumper, but no injuries were reported.
During sentencing, the judge noted that the initial public perception of the incident as a hate crime influenced the government's sentencing recommendation. However, the judge cited a psychiatric report indicating that Sohail's mental health challenges played a significant role in his actions. Sohail's attorney stated that he had been struggling with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder following a difficult childhood and was seeking belonging and understanding through Judaism. The attorney described the car ramming as an "irrational cry for help" after Sohail had found rabbinical students at the Chabad to be welcoming before becoming erratic and anxious upon returning to the U.S.