https://www.jns.org/victim-of-anti-jewish-gang-assault-commends-manhattan-da/
A New York court sentenced Mohammed Othman, who brutally attacked Joseph Borgen on May 20, 2021, to five-and-a-half years in prison on Wednesday.
Othman assaulted and pepper-sprayed Borgen on Broadway near West 49th Street in the Diamond District while the latter was en route to a pro-Israel rally during the Israel-Gaza war (“Operation Pillar of Defense”). Othman pleaded guilty in October to second-degree assault as a hate crime.
Manhattan state Supreme Court Judge Felicia Mennin added five years of post-release supervision to Othman’s sentence. Prosecutors had asked for five years of incarceration for Othman, who was the second defendant in the case whom Mennin sentenced beyond what prosecutors sought.
“I think it sends a strong message about what happened,” Borgen told JNS of his attacker’s punishment. “Considering what we see going on in the city these days in terms of other incidents and other crimes, I’m more than satisfied with the result we got.”
Antisemitic slurs
Guilty pleas: Attackers of Jewish man in New York face years behind barsOctober 2, 2023
Report links New York City attacks on Jews to activist group Within Our LifetimeJune 16, 2023
Awawdeh receives longer sentence of 18 months for antisemitic attackApril 28, 2023
Borgen was wearing a yarmulke when Othman and four other men ambushed him, shouting antisemitic slurs. Punched and kicked repeatedly and beaten with a crutch, Borgen suffered a concussion, wrist injury and black eye. His body was left bruised. He said he will require another wrist surgery and still deals with the incident’s lingering physical effects.
Video evidence showed Othman pepper-spraying Borgen three times and spraying a bystander who tried to protect Borgen. Othman was also recorded throwing a firework at a Jewish woman, burning her, from the back of a pickup truck.
Othman, 26, of Staten Island, had six prior arrests, including domestic violence charges.
Borgen believes the sentence was based on the premeditated nature of the attack and Othman’s repeated assaults.
“The judge went into great detail about the WhatsApp group that he was in, where they were sending messages leading up to the rally,” Borgen said.
A New York court sentenced Mohammed Othman, who brutally attacked Joseph Borgen on May 20, 2021, to five-and-a-half years in prison on Wednesday.
Othman assaulted and pepper-sprayed Borgen on Broadway near West 49th Street in the Diamond District while the latter was en route to a pro-Israel rally during the Israel-Gaza war (“Operation Pillar of Defense”). Othman pleaded guilty in October to second-degree assault as a hate crime.
Manhattan state Supreme Court Judge Felicia Mennin added five years of post-release supervision to Othman’s sentence. Prosecutors had asked for five years of incarceration for Othman, who was the second defendant in the case whom Mennin sentenced beyond what prosecutors sought.
“I think it sends a strong message about what happened,” Borgen told JNS of his attacker’s punishment. “Considering what we see going on in the city these days in terms of other incidents and other crimes, I’m more than satisfied with the result we got.”
Antisemitic slurs
Guilty pleas: Attackers of Jewish man in New York face years behind barsOctober 2, 2023
Report links New York City attacks on Jews to activist group Within Our LifetimeJune 16, 2023
Awawdeh receives longer sentence of 18 months for antisemitic attackApril 28, 2023
Borgen was wearing a yarmulke when Othman and four other men ambushed him, shouting antisemitic slurs. Punched and kicked repeatedly and beaten with a crutch, Borgen suffered a concussion, wrist injury and black eye. His body was left bruised. He said he will require another wrist surgery and still deals with the incident’s lingering physical effects.
Video evidence showed Othman pepper-spraying Borgen three times and spraying a bystander who tried to protect Borgen. Othman was also recorded throwing a firework at a Jewish woman, burning her, from the back of a pickup truck.
Othman, 26, of Staten Island, had six prior arrests, including domestic violence charges.
Borgen believes the sentence was based on the premeditated nature of the attack and Othman’s repeated assaults.
“The judge went into great detail about the WhatsApp group that he was in, where they were sending messages leading up to the rally,” Borgen said.
