Pa. Air National Guard member charged in conspiracies to vanalize synagogue, build bombs

Federal prosecutors announced new charges against three people in the Pittsburgh area, including a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. They are accused of conspiring to vandalize a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and build improvised bombs.

Mohamad Hamad, 23, of Coraopolis and Talya A. Lubit, 24, of Pittsburgh were originally charged in November with conspiracy and defacing a religious building.

The new charges, made public in an indictment filed Tuesday, include a third defendant, Micaiah Collins, 22, of Pittsburgh, who is accused of conspiring with Hamad to make and set off homemade explosives. Attorneys for the three defendants, who were released after posting bonds, did not return calls Thursday.

Hamad, who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2023, is also accused of lying about his allegiances to Palestine and Lebanon during a military background investigation and possessing destructive devices.

The vandalism of Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh with anti-Semitic graffiti last July came about six years after a gunman killed 11 people worshiping inside the nearby Tree of Life building, which houses two synagogues.

According to the indictment, Hamad and Lubit discussed plans to paint graffiti on “Jewish institutions” over the messaging app Signal in late July. Hamad purchased a can of red spray paint and met with Lubit early in the morning on July 29. They drove in Hamad’s car to Chabad where Lubit got out and painted “Jews 4 Palestine” on the front of the synagogue, the indictment says.

Lubit also painted an inverted red triangle, which the indictment alleges is a symbol used by the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, to designate a building as a target. On the same morning, the Jewish Federation reported to Pittsburgh police that its sign had been vandalized with a red spray-paint message that it “funds genocide” and “

According to the indictment, Hamad was assigned to the 171st Maintenance Squadron based with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 171st Air Refueling Wing in Moon Township, near the Pittsburgh International Airport.

As part of his duties in the squadron, Hamad sought a top-secret security clearance. He was interviewed in-person three times and allegedly made false statements about his allegiance to the United States. The indictment details how, during the background investigation, Hamad made numerous statements online that he was more loyal to Palestine and Lebanon than the United States.

It also says Hamad shared violent pro-Hamas videos and ordered clothing with the image of a Hamas leader and the message “Respect Resistance or Expect Resistance.” He also stated his desire to travel to Palestine to join the resistance against Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

In June, about a month before the graffiti incidents, Hamad started discussions with Collins using the encrypted messaging app Signal about building bombs. He also ordered chemicals and materials online and purchased a fuse at a fireworks store to build explosive devices, the indictment says.

In early July, Hamad drove from Pittsburgh to State College with the devices he had built. He and another person who is not charged or identified in the indictment drove to Rothrock State Park where they detonated the devices, the indictment says.