PHILADELPHIA, PA — Donavon Parish, a 29-year-old resident of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for a series of malicious cyberstalking and antisemitic threats directed at synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe also imposed a three-year term of supervised release following Parish’s imprisonment, highlighting the seriousness of his offenses.
According to court documents, Parish targeted his victims by making multiple harassing phone calls in April and May of 2022. Using a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to disguise his identity, he contacted synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. During these calls, he subjected the recipients to disturbing references to Holocaust atrocities and issued explicit antisemitic threats. Parish’s statements included phrases such as “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” and “Hitler should have finished the job,” alongside threats to “put you in work camps” and “gas the Jews.”
The defendant’s behavior caused profound distress among the victims, disrupting their sense of safety and leading to fears of potential physical violence. Parish formally pleaded guilty in June to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. He additionally admitted to a special finding that he deliberately selected his victims based on their real or perceived Jewish faith.
“Donavon Parish’s harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted — their sense of security abruptly shaken by fears of escalation and physical harm,” stated United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “People of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in their communities. That’s why my office and the FBI are committed to working these cases and bringing offenders like Parish to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Division emphasized the broader implications of the offense. “No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship,” Jacobs said. “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, and we will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter where they are.”
The investigation leading to this prosecution was spearheaded by the FBI, with critical contributions from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), the Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for both the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of Mississippi. Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher from the National Security Division oversaw the case.
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