Defendants accused of painting antisemitic graffiti at Chabad of Squirrel Hill, Federation, plead not guilty
Trial estimated to last six days
The two people arrested and charged with vandalizing Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh in July were arraigned on Nov. 26 in federal court. Both defendants, Mohamad Hamad, 23, of Coraopolis, and Talya A. Lubit, 24, of Pittsburgh, pled not guilty to charges of damaging religious property and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
The charges stem from antisemitic graffiti painted on Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s building, including an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by the terrorist group Hamas to identity Israeli military targets, and graffiti painted on a sign outside the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s building.
Hamad was a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard until Sept. 2024, when he was barred from the facility. Lubit is an Oakland resident.
Search warrants were executed in August and September 2024 at both defendants’ residences and their cell phones were seized. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a review of the contents revealed “messages during the month of July 2024 between Hamad and Lubit during which they planned their vandalism activities and specifically discussed selecting Jewish targets. Review of Hamad’s phone also revealed that in the weeks leading up to the vandalism on July 29, Hamad referred to himself as a ‘Hamas operative,’ sent a picture of himself wearing a headband with the Hamas logo to another associate, and exchanged messages with another individual regarding building an explosive device, including a video of a test detonation in early July 2024.”
The case has been assigned to District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. The trial is estimated to take six days for both defendants. A trial date has not yet been set. PJC
comments