Dearborn Man Who Yelled Antisemitic Threats Tried Buying 3 Guns: Feds

DEARBORN, MI — A Dearborn man who made antisemitic and racist threats to parents, young children and security personnel outside a synagogue in Bloomfield Hills tried to buy three guns, federal officials announced Thursday.

Hassan Chokr, 35, was charged with lying on a federal firearms form when he tried buying a shotgun, a rifle, and a semi-automatic pistol, officials said.

Chokr falsely claimed there were no felony charges pending against him and that he had not been previously convicted of a felony, officials said. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Chokr was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault), which is currently pending against him in state court. He was also convicted in 2017 of Felony Financial Transaction Device – Stealing/Retaining Without Consent.

The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office also charged Chokr with ethnic intimidation based on his conduct outside the Temple Beth El in Blomfield Hills on Dec. 2.

After Chokr submitted the firearms form at the gun store, his purchase was denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and the firearms were not sold to him, officials said. Federal agents said he tried buying a Landor Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Del-ton 5.56mm rifle and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

During his arraignment, Chokr flipped off the court and yelled antisemitic slurs to the judge on video when the judge restricted his social media use and set his bond at $1 million. His bond was revoked in Wayne County, and if he is released from the Oakland County Jail, he will be taken to the Wayne County Jail.

Chokr's family said he has been struggling with mental health issues since the COVID-19 pandemic, and said he needs mental health treatment, according to WDIV.

"Every time he has a mental health episode, they’ll throw him behind bars, and when we asked to be petitioned to get mental health treatment, they never ever helped us or reached out," Chokr's brother told the news outlet. "They left us crying in our houses."