Philadelphia, PA – Donavon Parish, a 29-year-old resident of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has pleaded guilty to charges of cyberstalking and harassment, with a focus on antisemitic threats directed at synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. The plea was entered today in front of United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe in Philadelphia.
Parish faces one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, led by Jacqueline C. Romero, confirmed that Parish’s actions were motivated by the victims’ actual or perceived religion.
The June 2023 indictment, along with a superseding information filed last month, outlined Parish’s actions during April and May 2022. Using a Voice over Internet Protocol service, Parish placed several threatening phone calls to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In these calls, Parish made numerous references to the Holocaust, spewing hate-filled language such as «Heil Hitler,» «all Jews must die,» «we will put you in work camps,» «gas the Jews» and «Hitler should have finished the job.»
Parish’s threats aimed to instill fear and targeted individuals based on their religious beliefs, making the case particularly grievous. For his actions, Parish could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, fines totaling $1.5 million, and a $600 special assessment.
«Cyberstalking is already a serious violation, and targeting victims based on their religion is a hate crime, which makes it that much more abhorrent,» stated 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.»
Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of combating antisemitism. «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 thoroughly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecution efforts are being led by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section). Additional support was provided by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
