A Brooklyn man now faces up to 20 years after pleading guilty to a high-risk arson attack in Bushwick

A Brooklyn man, reportedly known as an anti-Israel activist, has admitted to setting a series of fires that destroyed multiple NYPD vehicles. The feds have detailed that the blaze was an incredibly dangerous act that put lives at risk and hurt police resources ahead of a major “No Kings” protest weekend.

Credit: NYPD Crime Stoppers

Jakhi McCray pleaded guilty Wednesday, April 8, in federal court in Brooklyn to arson charges tied to the destruction of 10 New York City Police Department vehicles and a trailer in Bushwick (Brooklyn) last summer. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz.

Feds say the fires were deliberately set in the early morning hours of June 12, 2025, after McCray climbed over a fence into a secure lot on DeKalb Avenue. Once inside, feds say he ignited multiple vehicles, which spread quickly across the lot.

An NYPD officer conducting a routine check of the property spotted the fire and saw McCray fleeing through a hole in the fence. The damage was huge: police estimate the blaze caused more than a whopping $800,000 in losses. McCray later turned himself in on July 21, 2025.

Anti-Israel activist admits to torching 11 NYPD vehicles in arson spree https://t.co/4Bw9BBHaWd pic.twitter.com/uJYSAqfdto

— New York Post (@nypost) April 8, 2026

The feds noted the timing of the attack, pointing out that the damage was caused just two days before planned “No Kings” protests across the city, impacting the NYPD’s ability to respond and maintain public safety. “The defendant’s actions were not only dangerous, but they were also a direct attack on public safety,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.

Officials also pushed back on any suggestion that the act could be viewed as protest-related, as McCray is known as an anti-Israel “activist.” AMNY reported that McCray even has a “support committee,” and his “activism” has “touched countless lives.”

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The statement made to the NY Post from the committee said regarding his guilty plea, “This decision was made out of love for his family, friends, comrades and for the revolutionary movements of which he is part of. Jakhi’s decision is a political calculation made under political conditions, by someone who has already shown enormous courage, to minimize the amount of time the federal government gets to take from him. To support Jakhi is also to continue struggling against the U.S. from wherever you are. Jakhi is not free until everyone is free. Free Jakhi, free them all, free the land!”

“Arson is not a form of protest, it is a dangerous crime that puts lives at risk,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, whose agency worked alongside NYPD and FDNY investigators on the case.

McCray now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years when he is sentenced at a later date. He could also be ordered to pay restitution for the damage. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.