Overview

• U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci imposed a 10-year prison term and five years of supervised release after Mufid Fawaz Alkhader pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally purchase a firearm, obstructing religious exercise and brandishing a weapon in a hate crime.
• On Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader fired two shots in the air outside Temple Israel in Albany while shouting “Free Palestine,” jammed the shotgun on a third attempt and tried to tear down an Israeli flag, forcing a lockdown that terrified 61 preschoolers and led to the cancellation of Hanukkah events.
• Prosecutors detailed that Alkhader and Andrew Miller carried out a straw purchase of a Kel-Tec KS7 shotgun on Nov. 5, 2023; Miller pleaded guilty last year and received a 14-month sentence for his role.
• Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon and senior FBI and ATF officials described the attack as hate-fueled violence and said the punishment underscores the department’s commitment to protecting religious communities.
• The case exemplifies coordinated work by the FBI, ATF, Albany Police, New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in targeting antisemitic violence and unlawful firearm procurement.