NEW YORK (AP) — Four men accused of damaging a Brooklyn synagogue during a melee that followed the discovery of a secret tunnel at the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Hasidic Judaism are set to stand trial after turning down a plea deal offered by prosecutors.
The men face felony criminal mischief charges for their alleged role in a brawl last January that damaged parts of the famed complex, a deeply revered Jewish site that receives thousands of visitors annually.
At the time, scores of young men had gathered to protest an attempt by synagogue leaders to seal off a makeshift tunnel that some congregants had dug without permission in an effort to expand the worship space. When police arrived, prosecutors say some of the men ripped wooden siding off the wall, flung prayer books in the air and refused to leave the dusty excavation site.
Sixteen people were arrested following the altercation, which was partially captured on video, drawing widespread social media attention and curiosity.
At a court conference Monday, six defendants pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to an order of protection that prohibits them from making “alterations, excavations or demolitions to the synagogue” for three years. Six others have previously pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
“This is a blemish on the Chabad movement as far as I’m concerned,” Judge Adam Perlmutter told the men, scolding them for not consulting with synagogue leadership about the expansion plan. “They built buildings all over the world. It involves raising money, hiring architects, getting building permits and any rezoning as necessary. It is the only way that it gets done in this town.”
Four of the defendants — Yaakov R …