Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced today the indictment of Yehia Amin, 28, for a hate crime assault against a 23-year-old Israeli tourist in Times Square. Amin faces charges including First and Third Degree Stalking as a Hate Crime, Third Degree Assault as a Hate Crime, and Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree.
“As alleged, Yehia Amin taunted and punched a tourist after stalking his friends and going on a vile antisemitic tirade that spanned several minutes,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Violence stemming from hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Manhattan. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold those that cause harm accountable to ensure Manhattan is a safe place for everyone.”
Eight of the pieces were recovered pursuant to an ongoing and far-reaching criminal investigation into a well-organized antiquities-smuggling network that systematically looted Bubon, a magnificent Roman-era site in southwestern Türkiye that experienced widespread looting in the 1960’s. The pieces were returned at a ceremony with Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Gökhan Yazgi and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tom Acocella.
“These are exquisite pieces that represent the breadth of Türkiye’s cultural heritage, said District Attorney Bragg. “I am proud that during my administration we have returned 90 antiquities to Türkiye, valued at more than $60 million and I thank our partners for their continued collaboration.”
“We will continue to target antiquities trafficking networks no matter how complex. I thank our outstanding team of analysts and attorneys, along with our partners at HSI, for recovering and returning these beautiful pieces,” said District Attorney Bragg.
