The Justice Department filed a criminal charge on Tuesday against the man accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman on a light rail train in Charlotte, N.C., last month. The case has captured widespread attention since video of the attack was released.

The man, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, according to the Justice Department. Mr. Brown, who has been charged with first-degree murder by North Carolina prosecutors, could be sentenced to death if convicted in the federal case.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that her office would “seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”

On Aug. 22, Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was sitting on a light-rail train when Mr. Brown, who was sitting behind her, gripped a knife in his right hand and fatally stabbed her, according to the authorities and surveillance video that was released on Friday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.