PITTSBURGH — A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted six men for a September 2024 antisemitic attack on a Jewish male and a subsequent conspiracy to provide false testimony to investigators.
The six residents of the greater Pittsburgh area are charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, obstructing justice and conspiring to obstruct justice.
The charges follow an incident on Sept. 27, 2024, in the Oakland neighborhood around 2 a.m., where the defendants allegedly targeted a victim because he was wearing a Star of David necklace. United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the indictment on Monday, alleging the group engaged in a physical assault and later colluded to lie about the motivation for the attack during grand jury proceedings.
The seven-count indictment names the following defendants: Muhammed Koc, 27, of Pittsburgh; Omar Alshmari, 28, of Monroeville; Abraham Choudhry, 22, of Monroeville; Emirhan Arslan, 24, of McKees Rocks; Ali Alkhaleel, 19, of Pittsburgh; and Adeel Piracha, 22, of Murrysville.
According to the indictment, the group, except for Piracha, confronted the victim after seeing the individual’s Star of David pendant and made virulent antisemitic statements. Following a verbal confrontation, Koc and Alshmari allegedly physically attacked the victim, causing a split lip, headaches and other bodily injuries.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated the government would seek the maximum legal response for the attack.
“We will prosecute this alleged act of violent antisemitism to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said. “This Department of Justice will always protect the First Amendment right to worship freely and without fear for Jewish Americans and all Americans of faith.”
Investigators allege that later that day and throughout the following months, Piracha and the other defendants discussed the incident using social media group chats and text messages. During these conversations, Alshmari identified himself and Koc as the individuals described in a University of Pittsburgh crime alert about the assault. Both men also allegedly admitted to their involvement in the attack through text messages.
United States Attorney Rivetti described the case as both an act of violence and a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators.
“As alleged in the indictment, this incident began with two defendants physically attacking an individual because of the victim’s Jewish identity,” Rivetti said. “Then, these defendants corruptly colluded with one another to provide false and misleading testimony before a federal grand jury tasked with investigating the assault.”
Rivetti emphasized that the department would not tolerate interference with the legal process.
“Obstruction is illegal and undermines the pursuit of justice; it will not be tolerated within our legal system, particularly when defendants testify falsely in an effort to protect individuals who commit hate crimes and acts of violence,” Rivetti said.
The indictment further alleges that the defendants conspired to align their testimony and provided false information to the federal grand jury. Several defendants allegedly lied about whether they had struck the victim, whether the attack was motivated by the victim’s Star of David necklace and whether they had coordinated their stories before testifying.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the department remains committed to protecting religious expression.
“Antisemitism has no place in our country,” Dhillon said. “The Department of Justice will continue to investigate allegations of violence against people of faith and will work to ensure the safe exercise of religious practices—whether that be through wearing religious symbols or visiting houses of worship.”
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec noted that the bureau stands with faith communities against intimidation.
“Violence that targets someone because of their religious beliefs is unacceptable in American society,” Evanchec said. “Freedom of religion is a fundamental principle at the core of many communities across our nation. FBI Pittsburgh and our local, state and federal partners stand committed to protecting all faith communities from acts of hatred and intimidation.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh released the following statement after charges were announced:
“We are grateful to the FBI, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the University of Pittsburgh Police Department for their tireless work in pursuing justice in this case. Their commitment to holding perpetrators of hate-motivated violence accountable sends a clear and necessary message: attacks targeting people for their Jewish identity will not go unanswered. We thank our law enforcement partners for standing with the Jewish community.”
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the hate crime and obstruction of justice counts. The conspiracy to obstruct justice count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under federal sentencing guidelines, actual sentences are determined based on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant’s criminal history.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the University of Pittsburgh Police. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler and Trial Attorney Adam Hassanein are prosecuting the case.
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