Donavon Parish, a 29-year-old resident of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was sentenced to two years in prison for cyberstalking and antisemitic harassment. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and delivered by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe. Parish will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The charges stem from incidents in April and May 2022, where Parish used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to make threatening phone calls to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. During these calls, he made numerous antisemitic remarks, including references to the Holocaust.
In June 2024, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. He acknowledged targeting victims based on their actual or perceived religion.
U.S. Attorney Romero stated that "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." She emphasized the commitment of her office and the FBI to bringing offenders like Parish to justice.
Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, added that "No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship." He noted that the sentence underscores the resolve of law enforcement agencies to address such threats seriously.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania along with Justin Sher from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), with support from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.