update deskU.S. News

Mississippi man sentenced to two years for threatening Jews

The defendant’s “harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero.

A gavel in front of a screen displaying the U.S. flag. Credit: Sergei Tokmakov/Pixabay
A gavel in front of a screen displaying the U.S. flag. Credit: Sergei Tokmakov/Pixabay

Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was sentenced on Tuesday to 24 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for charges of cyberstalking, and antisemitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.

U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said the defendant’s “harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted—their sense of security abruptly shaken by fears of escalation and physical harm.” 

“People of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in their communities,” she added.

Parish pleaded guilty in June, admitting that from April to May 2022, he used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to call synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

During these calls, Parish spoke to individuals answering the phone for their respective institutions and made statements 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.”

“This sentence demonstrates the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such repeated and vile threats that seek to disrupt our community’s sense of safety and security,” said Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “And we will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter where they are.”

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