PHILADELPHIA, PA — United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. Parish also admitted he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion.
According to court documents, during April and May 2022, Parish used an internet-based phone service to make threatening calls to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In these calls, he referenced the Holocaust, saying “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” “we will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.”
Parish faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1,500,000 fine, and a $600 special assessment.
“Cyberstalking is already a serious violation, and targeting victims based on their religion is a hate crime,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We will continue to hold accountable anyone who misuses technology to spread hate and fear.”
Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, stated, “Antisemitism has no place in our society. Today’s guilty plea reinforces our commitment to pursuing justice against those who threaten our communities with such vile threats.”
The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Justin Sher from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, with assistance from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
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