Six Charged in Antisemitic Attack on Jewish Student in Pittsburgh

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on Monday indicted six local men in connection with a 2024 antisemitic assault on a Jewish university student in the city’s Oakland neighborhood, charging them with hate crimes and obstruction of justice.

The case combines allegations of a targeted attack based on religious identity with claims that the defendants later coordinated false testimony to mislead a federal investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the indictment, the assault took place at approximately 2:01 a.m. on September 27, 2024. The victim, identified as a University of Pittsburgh student, was approached by a group after they noticed he was wearing a necklace bearing a Star of David.

Prosecutors say members of the group made antisemitic remarks before the confrontation escalated. The victim responded verbally, stating it was “dumb” to insult someone for being Jewish, but was not physically aggressive, according to the filing. Muhammed Koc, 27, then allegedly punched the victim in the face, while Omar Alshmari, 28, also struck him. The victim sustained injuries including a split lip, physical pain and headaches. A bystander intervened and stopped the assault within minutes.

The seven-count indictment names Koc and Alshmari, along with Abraham Choudhry, 22, Emirhan Arslan, 24, Ali Alkhaleel, 19, and Adeel Piracha, 22. Prosecutors allege Koc and Alshmari carried out the attack, while the group later worked together to obstruct justice during the investigation.

According to court documents, after receiving subpoenas, several defendants communicated through group chats to coordinate their accounts before appearing before a federal grand jury. In one message cited in the indictment, Piracha wrote, “I’ve been subpoenaed to court. What has everyone said, so we all on the same page?” Prosecutors allege the group agreed to align their statements and provided false or misleading testimony regarding their involvement in the attack and its motive.

The indictment also alleges that one defendant warned others not to discuss the incident on unsecured platforms, while another sought information about the legal consequences of lying in court. Authorities say these actions were part of a broader effort to interfere with the federal investigation.

The defendants were arrested Monday morning following months of investigative work. The indictment, filed under seal on March 25, was unsealed the same day as the arrests. Federal prosecutors have requested that Koc be held in custody pending trial, with a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

“We will prosecute this alleged act of violent antisemitism to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti added that the case involved both a physical attack based on the victim’s Jewish identity and efforts by the defendants to mislead investigators.

FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec said, “Freedom of religion is a fundamental principle at the core of many communities across our nation,” adding that such incidents would be met with a “swift, decisive law enforcement response.”