Jewish woman pleads guilty to antisemitic vandalism at Chabad of Squirrel Hill
Lubit will pay nearly $11,000 in restitution as part of her plea agreement
Talya Lubit, a Pittsburgh Jewish woman, pled guilty at a May 15 hearing in federal court to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and damaging or defacing religious property.
Lubit, 24, was arrested last year with Mohamad Hamad in connection with graffiti painted on both Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. In April, the federal government filed a superseding indictment and added Micaiah Collins as a defendant for her alleged role in building bombs with Hamad, a former member of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Hamas sympathizer.
Collins’ father is Chad Collins, a pastor at Valley View Presbyterian Church and national organizer with the anti-Israel group Friends of Sabeel North America. Her sister Nesta Collins took part in last summer’s encampments at the University of Pittsburgh. She was arrested and charged with obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct at the encampment, which her father also attended.
Lubit originally pled not guilty but accepted a plea deal about two weeks after the superseding indictment was filed.
In the nearly hour-long May 15 hearing, Lubit answered questions posed by U.S. District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand affirming she understood the charges and the gravity of the plea.
Several times during the hearing, Lubit conferred with her attorney, Jennifer H. Bouriat, about a particular charge or point Criswell Wiegand made before affirming that she understood the question that the judge had asked.
At one point, the attorneys and defendant met with the judge in a side bar after Lubit said she had seen both a therapist and psychiatrist since her arrest but was uncomfortable listing in open court any medication she may have been prescribed.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, $100,000 in fines and one year of supervised release.
As part of the plea deal, Lubit will pay nearly $11,000 in restitution — $5,000 to Chabad of Squirrel Hill, $5,092 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and $442 to the City of Pittsburgh. Any additional penalties will be decided during a Sept. 10 sentencing hearing following the completion of a presentence report and recommendation prepared by the parole board.
During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Bloch recounted the evidence that would have been used in a trial against Lubit. She noted that the words “Jews 4 Palestine” and an inverted red triangle — a symbol used by Hamas to identify targets — were painted on the Chabad of Squirrel Hill building, and “Funds genocide, ♥ Jews Hate Zionists” was painted on a Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh sign.
After recounting the charges, the judge asked Lubit if she committed each of the counts, to which the defendant replied, “I did.”
Following the hearing, the Federation released a statement saying it welcomed the guilty plea, calling it a “significant step toward justice,” but added that it remains “mindful that both Hamad and Collins both have charges remaining.”
The Federation said it was grateful for the work of the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Department of Justice and all law enforcement partners who acted swiftly “to investigate and pursue justice. Their work continues to play a critical role in ensuring the safety and security of our city.”
Shawn Brokos, Federation’s community security director, echoed that sentiment, noting the “incredible collaboration we have with our law enforcement partners. They meticulously investigated the actions of Hamad and Lubit and left no stone unturned, unearthing a pattern of antisemitism that was escalating toward violence.”
Chabad of Squirrel Hill Rabbi Yisroel Altein said that he, too, wanted to thank the authorities for their work.
The $5,000 restitution Chabad will receive, Altein said, is necessary because while the city did some initial cleaning, completely removing the graffiti and properly restoring the wall required a more extensive and costly procedure.
He said he was glad Lubit took responsibility for her actions.
“Hopefully, this can be the beginning of a process of her finding the proper path in her Jewish roots,” he said.
Altein called the charges in the superseding indictment “concerning” and said he was pleased to hear that Hamad would remain in prison pending his trial.
He noted that with the arrest of Collins a pattern was emerging.
“We see these same players protesting and supporting Hamas throughout the city,” he said. “Hopefully we can now have a full picture of everyone involved.”
A status conference for Hamad is scheduled for July 29 and for Collins on July 31. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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