Mississippi man sentenced to two years for antisemitic threats in Pennsylvania

Donavon Parish, in a 2022 Forrest County mugshot.

Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was sentenced on Nov. 26 to 24 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for charges of cyberstalking, and antisemitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.

In Philadelphia, 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. He also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion.

During the 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.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he targeted three synagogues and three Jewish-owned delis in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including calling one deli more than 15 times. One synagogue he called housed a preschool and kindergarten.

“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.”

From JNS and staff reports