Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Attack at Manhattan Synagogue
(New York, NY = Alex Walczak) Larry Montes, 46, has been charged with federal hate crimes following a violent incident at a Manhattan synagogue during a Shabbat service on August 14, 2026.
On August 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Larry Montes, 46, was charged with two counts of committing hate crimes related to his racially and religiously motivated attacks on congregants during a Shabbat service at a Manhattan synagogue. Montes also faces a charge of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury.
Montes is currently in state custody and is expected to be transferred to Manhattan federal court for proceedings regarding the federal charges. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized that these charges signal the Department’s commitment to protecting the public from antisemitic and racially motivated violence. “Americans’ fundamental right to worship without fear of bias-motivated violence is sacrosanct and must be protected at all costs,” Dhillon stated.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York described the incident as an attack on the fundamental right to practice one’s faith safely. He assured that the office would work tirelessly to hold Montes accountable for his actions, which included disrupting worship, striking a congregant, and damaging synagogue property.
FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. expressed concern over Montes’s violent behavior, stating, “The FBI condemns any incident driven by bias or hate.” He praised the swift response of security personnel and first responders, reiterating that hate crimes have no place in New York.
During the Shabbat service, attended by approximately 375 people, Montes reportedly shouted obscenities and physically assaulted a woman congregant while damaging ceremonial silver candlesticks. After being restrained by security, he allegedly spat on a security guard and made racially charged remarks.
In a post-arrest interview, Montes expressed his disdain for Jewish people, claiming his actions were racially motivated and threatening to return to the synagogue. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each hate crime charge and up to 20 years for the charge of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury.
The prosecution is being handled by the Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit of the Southern District of New York, with all defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
