A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Aug. 8 charging an Ohio man with three counts of obstructing by force or threat of force a person’s enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, while using a dangerous weapon, according to a statement issued by the United States Department of Justice.
Announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for Washington, D.C. and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, the indictment alleged that on Dec. 17, 2023, the 35-year-old defendant drove a U-Haul truck around security barriers and parked on the sidewalk in front of Kesher Israel: The Georgetown Synagogue in Northwest D.C.
The defendant “accosted congregants and others by spraying a noxious aerosol and yelling, ‘Gas the Jews!’” while in the immediate vicinity of the synagogue, according to the DOJ statement. Witnesses said he shouted antisemitic slurs, ABC7 reported. Court records reveal security footage of the defendant at the synagogue at the time of the attack, wearing dark military green clothing.
The defendant faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the three counts — the hate crimes sentencing enhancement increased the guidelines range of his sentence. The defendant was previously charged in D.C. Superior Court with simple assault and did not show up to his scheduled arraignment. The defendant is currently a fugitive.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr.
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington commends the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI Washington Field Office for their work to secure the indictment of a federal hate crime for the individual responsible for accosting Kesher Israel congregants in D.C. in December 2023,” a Federation spokesperson wrote in a statement. “As antisemitism continues to rise nationwide, this indictment sends a clear message that attempts to intimidate and threaten the local Jewish community will not be tolerated. We encourage community members to continue reaching out to local police and Federation’s security division, JShield, to report any incidents or concerns.”
