‘Gas the Jews’: US man pleads guilty to cyberstalking, threatening synagogues, businesses

Donavon Parish, a 29-year-old resident of Mississippi, pled guilty on Tuesday to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses, the Department of Justice announced. 

Parish admitted in the court that he had targeted the synagogues and businesses based on their association with Judaism.

During April and May of 2022, Parish used voiceover software to target synagogues and Jewish businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, according to court documents. During the calls, he repeatedly praised, referenced and promised a reenactment of the Holocaust. 

Parish called one business 15 times, and a synagogue he called at multiple times also housed a preschool and kindergarten, according to the Associated Press.

“Heil Hitler,” “All Jews must die,” “We will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews” and “Hitler should have finished the job,” are some of the statements Parish reportedly made during the calls.

What punishment does Donavon Parish face?

Parish will appear before a judge in September 2024 where he will receive a sentence. 

The DOJ said that he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1.5 million fine and a $600 special assessment.