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Hattiesburg man sentenced to prison for harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that 29-year-old Donavon Parish of Hattiesburg, Mississippi had been sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The sentence is connected to the cyberstalking and the anti-Semitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. A June 2023 indictment alleged that the defendant used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to make multiple phone calls to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in April and May 2022.

During the calls, the defendant reportedly referenced the Holocaust multiple times. According to authorities, he stated things like “Heil Hitler”, “All Jews must die”, “We will put you in work camps”, and “Hitler should have finished the job.”

In June 2024, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. Parish also admitted to a special finding that he targeted the victims based on their actual or perceived religion.

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