Source: United States Attorneys General
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to illegally straw purchase a firearm, obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs with a dangerous weapon, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home to Temple Israel, a synagogue in Albany. Upon arriving at the synagogue, at approximately 2:00 p.m., Alkhader walked up the walkway toward the front entrance, brandished the Kel-Tec shotgun, and then twice fired the shotgun into the air while shouting “Free Palestine!” Alkhader attempted to fire a third time, but the shotgun jammed. After the shotgun jammed, Alkhader attempted to tear an Israeli flag from a flagpole in front of Temple Israel. Albany Police Officers responded to the scene and arrested Alkhader outside of a nearby hospital. As a result of Alkhader’s actions, Temple Israel was forced to cancel a planned concert and candle lighting ceremony to celebrate Chanukah that evening, and its congregants were afraid to return to their place of worship.
“The Department of Justice stands firmly against antisemitism and all hate crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to protecting everyone in our communities and upholding the freedom of religion as enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.”
“This shooting, outside of a synagogue on the eve of a Channukah celebration, was unfortunately emblematic of the anti-Semitic violence, rhetoric and practices that have swept this country over the last few years,” Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “This year, the Justice Department has emphatically said – through its words and actions – no more. My office, with our law enforcement partners, will do everything within our powers to make sure everyone in the Northern District of New York can exercise their right to practice their religion without fear of violence and hatred.”
“Mr. Alkhader’s violent actions were fueled by hatred for individuals simply because of their faith. That hatred caused tremendous terror within the Temple Israel community – and the Jewish community as a whole – as they were preparing for the first night of Channukah,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “We hope this sentence can play an important part in the community’s continued healing process, but can also serve as a notice that violence, especially borne from hate, will not be tolerated by the FBI. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate these hateful incidents and bring justice to the victims, so no one has to live in fear.”
“This sentencing reflects our commitment to stopping those who unlawfully obtain firearms to cause fear and chaos in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the ATF New York Field Division. “When individuals conspire to bypass gun laws and use firearms to intimidate others, they will be held accountable. This case highlights the importance of our ongoing work to disrupt illegal firearm activity before it turns deadly. I’m grateful for the partnership between ATF NY Albany Field Office, FBI Albany, the Albany Police Department, the New York State Police and U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of NY — a united front in keeping our communities safe.”
“The sentencing in this case sends a clear message that violence and crimes of hate targeting any community, including those of our Jewish community, will not be tolerated,” said Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox. “The Albany Police Department remains committed to protecting all communities and to hold those accountable who seek to spread fear and hate.”
As part of his prior guilty plea, Alkhader admitted that, between Nov. 1 and Nov. 6, 2023, he and Andrew Miller agreed that Miller would purchase a shotgun for Alkhader by lying to a firearms dealer and falsely representing that Miller was the purchaser of the gun. On Nov. 5, 2023, Alkhader and Miller drove to a federal firearms dealer in Albany and illegally purchased a Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.
U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci for the Northern District of New York also imposed a five-year term of supervised release to begin after Alkhader is released from prison.
Andrew Miller previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 months of in prison for his role in the straw purchase of the shotgun.
The FBI’s Albany Field Office, in conjunction with the ATF and the Albany Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York, Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division prosecuted the case. Additionally, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Perry and Michael Gadarian for the Northern District of New York provided counsel in the investigation and prosecution of this case.