Six Pittsburgh-Area Defendants Charged with Hate Crime and Obstruction of Justice for Late-Night Antisemitic Attack on Jewish Male

# Six Charged in Pittsburgh Hate Crime Against Jewish Male

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh charged six residents with hate crimes and obstruction of justice for an antisemitic attack on a Jewish male in September 2024. The defendants are Muhammed Koc, 27; Omar Alshmari, 28; Abraham Choudhry, 22; Emirhan Arslan, 24; Ali Alkhaleel, 19; and Adeel Piracha, 22, all from the greater Pittsburgh area.

The seven-count indictment alleges that on September 27, 2024, at approximately 2:01 a.m., five of the defendants physically attacked the victim in Oakland after making antisemitic statements upon noticing the individual's religious necklace. The charges include violations of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Prosecutors allege that following the assault, the defendants provided false testimony before a federal grand jury investigating the attack. U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti stated that the defendants "corruptly colluded" to obstruct the investigation through misleading statements intended to protect those responsible for the violence.