A Brooklyn man with a history of anti-Israel activism has been indicted on federal arson charges for allegedly setting fire to multiple New York Police Department vehicles during a protest in June, federal prosecutors announced.

Jakhi McCray, 21, is accused of carrying out a premeditated arson attack that destroyed 10 NYPD vehicles and a trailer in Bushwick on the night of June 12. According to the Justice Department, surveillance footage captured McCray entering a police parking lot and methodically igniting fires over a 30-minute period. Investigators later recovered a cigar lighter and a pair of sunglasses bearing his fingerprints, as well as more than 30 fire starters hidden beneath additional vehicles.

“The arson attack against New York City Police Department vehicles in Bushwick, Brooklyn, was as cowardly as it was criminal,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a statement. “The defendant in this case may have wanted to send a message, but all he did was mobilize the full force of the NYPD, the ATF and the FDNY to identify, locate, and arrest him.”

If convicted, McCray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

Federal authorities confirmed that McCray has been involved in anti-Israel demonstrations since the October 7 Hamas-led terror attack in Israel, and is currently wanted for unrelated acts of criminal mischief tied to the vandalism of a statue at Columbia University.

The NYPD noted the timing of the arson attack—just two days before a planned “Global March to Gaza NYC” protest—as part of the context of their investigation.

In a statement following the indictment, McCray played victim.

“The federal government has labeled me ‘armed and dangerous’ and blasted a $30,000 bounty for my capture,” he said. “Zionist and white supremacist news outlets have happily supported [this] in their racist doxxing and smear campaign against me.”

He can cry about it to his cellmates.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)