The US Department of Justice has filed federal hate crime charges against Larry Montes over an alleged attack during Shabbat services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue. Prosecutors say Montes shouted at congregants, assaulted a worshipper and a security guard, and damaged property, later making explicitly antisemitic statements in a post-arrest interview. He faces two hate crime counts and a charge of damaging religious property, carrying a maximum sentence of 40 years.
The US Department of Justice has filed federal hate crime charges against Larry Montes for an alleged assault during Shabbat services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue. According to prosecutors, Montes entered the synagogue, shouted at congregants, assaulted a worshipper and a security guard, and damaged property. During a post-arrest interview, he made explicitly antisemitic statements and described the incident as religiously and racially motivated, the DOJ said. Montes faces two federal hate crime counts, each carrying up to 10 years, and a charge of damaging religious property resulting in bodily injury, with a maximum sentence of 20 years — a total of up to 40 years. The case adds to a series of high-profile antisemitic incidents in the United States. As The Zioneer has reported, antisemitic hate crimes in New York City rose 53% in July compared to the same month last year, with Jews accounting for 70% of all hate crime victims. Other recent attacks include the stabbing of a Jewish man outside a Manhattan synagogue and the armed intrusion at Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn. The federal charges reflect the severity of the alleged attack and the Department of Justice's prioritization of hate crimes targeting Jewish institutions.
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