Man who rammed car into NYC’s Chabad headquarters sentenced to time served

Dan Sohail, 36, was sentenced to time served on Wednesday for repeatedly ramming his car into the Chabad Hasidic movement’s world headquarters in New York City in January. Sohail pleaded guilty to damaging religious property in May. Initially charged with a hate crime, investigators later determined he was seeking to connect with his “Jewish heritage” and suffered from mental health problems, having made outreach to Jewish groups prior to the incident. Judge Eric Vitaliano ordered Sohail to pay $19,000 in restitution, criticizing the Department of Justice for seeking a harsher sentence. Sohail's defense attorney stated he was battling depression and PTSD, and had found the Chabad rabbinical students “warm and welcoming” before his mental state deteriorated.