Trial of Hate Crime Robbery Suspect
At the trial, a suspect in a hate crime robbery claimed that he was wrongly identified by police. Skiboky Strass, who presented himself as a bit eccentric, insisted he was not the individual seen in surveillance footage and that the dog in the video was not his.
This unusual assertion came during his testimony at Manhattan Supreme Court, where he faces charges related to various random assaults, including one on TikTok influencer Harry McGookin in 2024.
“That guy has hair!” Strass, 42, exclaimed, referring to the video from the September 20, 2023, attack in Manhattan. “I haven’t had any hair on my head since I was 18.”
Appearing with a completely shaved head, Strass additionally argued that the puppy in the footage, named “Shirley Lil Butt,” was not his. “That wasn’t me, that wasn’t my dog,” he maintained. “I have a black and white dog, and the video clearly shows a white and gray dog with white spots on its back. That’s not my dog.”
Prosecutors stated that Strass shouted racist and anti-Semitic slurs during the incident, including derogatory remarks aimed at one of the victims.
Beyond the accusations involving McGookin, who testified about being punched while heading to record a podcast on March 25, 2024, Strass has a history of political campaigns that many have deemed sham. He’s alleged to have assaulted a Jewish couple while shouting hateful messages.
His legal advisor, attorney James McGee, was present to question him during the trial. McGookin, whose TikTok account has 1.6 million followers, noted that he was so taken aback by the attack that he found himself apologizing to Strass, as the latter was hurling profanities at him.
The cross-examination was marked by Strass asking bizarre questions about McGookin supposedly being under federal investigation, referencing a TikTok trend where people claim to have been punched.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Josh Hanshaft quickly dismissed this odd line of questioning. Strass is not only facing charges related to McGookin and the Jewish couple but is also accused of elbowing a 37-year-old woman in October 2023. His arrest occurred just days after the attack on McGookin.
