A Mississippi man has been handed a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of cyberstalking and directing antisemitic harassment at synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, was given the sentence by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, and his punishment also includes three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
The case, stemming from a series of threatening calls made in April and May of 2022, saw Parish using a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to target victims in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where he expressed hateful sentiments and invoked the Holocaust; the calls included statements like "Heil Hitler," and "all Jews must die," among other antisemitic threats, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In June, after a grand jury indictment and subsequent superseding information, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and to five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device he also acknowledged a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their religion, an action that U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero stated “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,” as noted by U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case, handled by the FBI with assistance from various divisions within the Department of Justice, highlights the commitment of law enforcement to address crimes rooted in hate and prejudice special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Philadelphia said in his statement, "No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship," a sentiment echoed by Jacobs, who, along with Romero, according to the same press release.
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