A 29-year-old Hattiesburg, Mississippi man has pleaded guilty to leading a hate-fueled cyberstalking campaign targeting synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Donavon Parish, 29, admitted to making a series of phone calls between April and May 2022, using a Voice over Internet Protocol service, to institutions in the region. Parish spoke to individuals on behalf of their respective institutions, repeatedly referencing the genocide of approximately six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, and stating, among other things, “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” “we will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.”
“Cyberstalking is already a serious violation and targeting victims based on their religion is a hate crime, which makes it that much more abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “We and our partners will continue to work to hold accountable anyone who criminally misuses today’s technology to spread hate and fear.”
Parish faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $1,500,000 fine and a $600 special assessment. “Antisemitism has no place in our society,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s guilty plea reinforces that we will pursue justice against those who threaten members of our communities with such vile threats. The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure our citizens feel safe in the environments they live, work and play in.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), with assistance from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Parish’s actions demonstrate the devastating consequences of hate speech and cyberstalking, and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their crimes, no matter where they occur. The guilty plea serves as a reminder that law enforcement agencies will work tirelessly to protect the communities they serve from such threats.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime|Violent Crime|Hate Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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