Former Cornell student who threatened to rape Jewish women, behead their babies sentenced to 21 months in prison

On Monday, a former Cornell University engineering student was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for threatening to rape Jewish students and behead their babies. 

22-year-old Patrick Dai of Pittsford, NY, is also required to serve three years of supervised release after he finishes his prison term. Dai previously worked as a safety officer for the Science Olympiad at Cornell between October 2020 and April 2021, as well as an orientation supervisor with Cornell Campus Engagement between March 2021 and February 2022. 

According to the Justice Department, as part of his previously entered guilty plea, Dai admitted that, on Oct. 28 and 29, 2023, he posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion forum, including posts that said “gonna shoot up 104 west,” which is a dining hall at Cornell University that caters mostly to students that keep Kosher and is next to the Cornell Jewish Center that provides residential accommodations for Jewish students. He also said he was “gonna bomb jewish house.” 

In another post, Dai threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish man he saw on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish women he saw and to behead any Jewish babies. In the post, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.” He also said “Watch out pig jews. jihad is coming. nowhere is safe. your synagogue will become graveyards. your women will be raped and your children will be beheaded. glory to Allah.” 

The comments were posted after Palestinian terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing over 1,200 civilians and kidnapping over 250 more. Dai was arrested on Oct. 31 and later pleaded guilty to posting the threatening messages in a case that demonstrated spiking antisemitism on US college campuses. 

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a release, “Every student has the right to pursue their education without fear of violence based on who they are, how they look, where they are from or how they worship. Antisemitic threats of violence, like the defendant’s vicious and graphic threats here, violate that right. Today’s sentencing reaffirms that we will hold accountable those who violently threaten and intimidate others based on their religious practice or background. The Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans against bias motivated crimes wherever they occur, including college campuses.” 

US Attorney Carla B. Freedman for the Northern District of New York said, “Today, former Cornell University student Patrick Dai was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison for posting anonymous threats to kill Jewish students. Before imposing a sentence, the court found that this was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines because Dai targeted Jewish students and substantially disrupted the university’s core function of educating its students. The defendant’s threats terrorized the Cornell campus community for days and shattered the community’s sense of safety. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.” 

Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office added, “Mr. Dai’s actions serve as a disturbing reminder of the terrifying hatred our Jewish communities encounter simply because of their beliefs. Thanks to the strong partnerships between our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the New York State Police and the Cornell University Police Department, Dai was quickly identified, charged and has remained in custody since that hateful day in October 2023. This sentence should serve as a reminder that the FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate any individual who perpetuates hate crimes to ensure our college campuses and communities at large remain free of hateful individuals who threaten the safety of Americans.”