A former California rideshare driver is facing federal hate crime charges for allegedly assaulting a passenger he believed to be Jewish or Israeli in October.
Chaba John Chukas, 39, was arrested Wednesday for assaulting a passenger he was scheduled to pick up at San Francisco International Airport, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
According to the Justice Department, Czukas asked the victim if he was Jewish or Israeli and said he did not intend to deport Jews or Israelis before punching the victim in the face.
The incident occurred weeks after Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7.
In 2022, federal marshals arrest a fugitive mother accused of killing her 5-year-old son by stuffing his body in a suitcase.
The former rideshare driver allegedly punched the victim at San Francisco International Airport on October 26, 2023. (St. Petersburg)
Officials condemned the attack, saying customers should be able to “ride without a profile.”
“When using public transportation, whether it’s a taxi, a bus, or a rideshare, customers can ride without being profiled or even worse attacked by drivers based on their nationality or religion. We should be able to,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. Because the Northern District of California said: “We will prosecute every rideshare driver who assaults a passenger in this hate-motivated violence.”
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Chukas, a former rideshare driver, was charged with federal hate crimes after an incident with a customer at San Francisco Airport in October 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
In his first court appearance, Czukas said, “The federal hate crime prohibits the infliction of personal injury on account of a person’s actual or perceived religion or national origin in circumstances affecting interstate commerce.” He was charged with committing a crime.
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If convicted, Czukas could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
