A Pittsburgh resident has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and defacing a religious building, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. Talya A. Lubit, 24, admitted guilt to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
The court was informed that Lubit, along with codefendant Mohamad Hamad, conspired from July 2024 until July 29, 2024, to damage the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. This center for Jewish educational programming is located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. On July 29, 2024, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted "Jews 4 Palestine" with an inverted triangle on the building's exterior using red paint. The inverted triangle had appeared in videos posted online by Hamas during fighting in Gaza and was used to mark Israeli targets.
Lubit agreed to pay restitution for damages at the Chabad property and graffiti on a sign at the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh done on the same day.
Judge Wiegand set sentencing for September 10, 2025. The law allows for a sentence of up to one year in prison or a fine of $100,000 or both. The actual sentence will depend on offense seriousness and any prior criminal history.
Pending sentencing, Lubit's bond continues with special conditions including home detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt are prosecuting this case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to this prosecution.