DETROIT – A federal court in Detroit has sentenced a Dearborn man to nearly three years in prison after he attempted to illegally purchase firearms just hours after terrorizing and threatening to kill worshipers at a Jewish center in Oakland County on the morning of December 3, 2022.

Hassan Chokr, 38, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Prosecutors said he examined several guns at a Dearborn store in an unsuccessful attempt to purchase weapons, in direct violation of federal law. Chokr is also facing prosecution in Oakland County Circuit Court, where he has been charged with two counts of ethnic intimidation in addition to his guilty plea on habitual offender charges.

The federal case was delayed for more than two and a half years as the court evaluated Chokr’s mental competency at the request of his defense attorney. During that time, authorities sought to medicate him before the court ultimately ruled him fit for trial earlier this year. A ruling in his Oakland County case is still pending.

Federal Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey sentenced Chokr to 34 months in prison, aligning with the U.S. Attorney’s recommendation of more than 33 months. Prosecutors described his actions as “extremely dangerous and deeply troubling.”

Hassan Yehia Chokr. – Photo by the Oakland County Jail

Chokr’s anti-Semitic threats and his clear attempt to carry them out with firearms are part of a disturbing pattern of violence against people of faith. — U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

“Chokr’s anti-Semitic threats and his clear attempt to carry them out with firearms are part of a disturbing pattern of violence against people of faith,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. in a statement. “We will do everything in our power to combat this hatred and protect the American family and its right to worship freely without fear.”

Defense attorney Nabih Ayad requested his client’s release with credit for time served since his arrest on December 4, 2022, citing Chokr’s chronic mental illness.

According to prosecutors, on the morning of December 3, Chokr drove his vehicle through the parking lot of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills — which includes a children’s nursery — shouting racist and anti-Semitic slurs at parents and security guards, including: “F*** Israel and the Jews!” and “You will all die!” Hours later, he visited a gun shop in Dearborn, telling a clerk the weapons would be used to “bring down God’s wrath” and “settle scores.”

The government presented photos and surveillance video showing Chokr attempting to buy a semi-automatic pistol, an AR-15 assault rifle and a hunting shotgun at Dearborn Outdoors, but he was denied after failing the mandatory federal background check. Prosecutors said Chokr lied on purchase forms, concealing his criminal record and his prior involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital.

On the forms, Chokr falsely claimed he had never been convicted or charged with a felony, even though he was out on bond at the time, awaiting trial in Wayne County Circuit Court for a 2020 assault on a Detroit police officer.

He was arrested at his Dearborn home the following day, December 4, 2022, and held without bond. He was later sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment to determine his competency.

Initially, Chokr was charged with making false statements on the federal firearms purchase form, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In 2023, that charge was dismissed when he was found incompetent to stand trial after being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Prosecutors then sought a court order for involuntary medication and later brought the firearm possession charge based on video and photographic evidence of him handling weapons inside the Dearborn store.

In his defense, attorney Ayad argued that Chokr had not targeted individuals and that his outburst was “an expression of his opinion about Israel and its policies”, claiming it fell under his First Amendment right to free speech.

Ayad also said his client had never been violent nor harmed anyone, noting that prior to the incident he worked as a landscaper earning about $7,500 a month. He added that Chokr’s mental health declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened by the loss of his dog, but that he is now taking prescribed medication regularly and intends to continue treatment to maintain his stability.