A man was sentenced on July 29, 2026, to six months and one week in prison for ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York in January, causing damage to a side entrance door. Dan Sohail, 36, from New Jersey, was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. Having already served six months in custody, he is expected to be released in about a week.
Sohail was charged with intentionally damaging religious property and pleaded guilty in May. Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month sentence, citing a need for deterrence against attacks on Jewish institutions amid a rise in antisemitic hate crimes. However, the judge declined this recommendation.
On January 28, Sohail drove his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters multiple times, moving protective barriers and gesturing for congregants to move out of the way. He struck the building's side entrance five times, damaging the door and his vehicle, but no injuries were reported.
Judge Eric N. Vitaliano expressed concern that the Justice Department's request for a stricter sentence was influenced by public perception of the incident as a hate crime. He noted that a psychiatric report indicated Sohail's mental health issues were significant factors in the case. Sohail's lawyer stated that he had been struggling with psychological challenges and was seeking acceptance within the Jewish community.
The judge remarked on the complexity of the situation, describing it as a 'sad tale.' Sohail's lawyer indicated that the car ramming was an 'irrational cry for help' stemming from his mental health struggles.