Arizona Man Sentenced to 49 Months for NYC Hate Threat Spree

NEW YORK, NY – Donovan Hall, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, will spend the next 49 months behind bars after being sentenced for a sustained campaign of antisemitic threats and stalking targeting Jewish individuals in New York City. U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden handed down the sentence on October 30, 2025, following a federal investigation led by the FBI’s Newark Field Office.

The Justice Department detailed a chilling three-month period where Hall bombarded approximately 1,000 threatening communications – phone calls, texts, and images – to his victims. The threats weren’t idle boasts; they included graphic descriptions of torture, mutilation, rape, and murder directed at the victims and their families. Hall specifically targeted the Jewish owner of a Manhattan hotel, his family, and staff, making dozens of menacing phone calls promising death.

The harassment escalated in October 2024 when Hall sent the hotel owner photos of two firearms and a machete via text message, explicitly threatening to use them for violence. A subsequent search of Hall’s Arizona residence on November 22, 2024, unearthed the very weapons pictured in the texts, alongside additional firearms and ammunition. Notably, both firearms were unregistered and one was loaded, found alongside Hall’s wallet in a backpack. This wasn’t an isolated incident; investigators discovered a broader pattern of antisemitic threats aimed at individuals across the United States.

“Donovan Hall targeted Jewish victims with a sustained campaign of intimidation, terror, and harassment,” stated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The approximately 1,000 threats he sent to these New Yorkers were alarming and brazen. The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that this Office will aggressively bring to justice those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate.” Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI echoed the sentiment, stating, “Hall’s sentencing speaks volumes about the severity of his crimes…His reign of fear is over.”

Hall pleaded guilty despite being held for approximately 10 months, ultimately receiving a sentence near the maximum allowed for his calculated campaign of hate. Beyond the prison term, Hall will face three years of supervised release. The investigation involved collaboration between the FBI’s Newark and Phoenix Field Offices, the New York Police Department, and police departments in Arizona and New Jersey.

The case was handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Adelsberg leading the prosecution. This conviction serves as a stark warning: hiding behind technology won’t shield perpetrators of hate from federal prosecution. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on all threats to public safety.

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