Arizona Man Sentenced To 49 Months In Prison For Sending Antisemitic Death Threats

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Stefanie Roddy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced that DONOVAN HALL was sentenced on October 30, 2025, to 49 months in prison for making interstate threats and the interstate stalking of Jewish victims in New York City. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden.

"Donovan Hall targeted Jewish victims with a sustained campaign of intimidation, terror, and harassment," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "The approximately 1,000 threats he sent to these New Yorkers were alarming and brazen. The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that this Office will aggressively bring to justice those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate."

Special Agent in Charge Roddy said: "Hall's sentencing speaks volumes about the severity of his crimes, and the seriousness with which the law takes them. After being remanded for approximately 10 months, Hall's guilty plea still resulted in the near-maximum sentence allowed for his calculated campaign of anti-Semitic rhetoric. His reign of fear is over and serves as a reminder to those who think they can hide behind computers, phone lines, and texts - the FBI treats all threats of violence with the utmost seriousness. The FBI will not relent in seeking justice for the victims of these egregious crimes."

According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:

Over a period of three months, HALL contacted several individuals located in New York, New York (the "Victims") approximately 1,000 times and made anti-Semitic and violent threats to torture, mutilate, rape, and murder them and their families. In particular, starting in August 2024, HALL made dozens of threatening phone calls-many of which were anti-Semitic in nature-to the Jewish owner of a hotel located in Manhattan, the owner's family members, and hotel staff. During these calls, HALL threatened numerous times to kill the Victims.

In October 2024, HALL escalated his threatening conduct by texting photographs of two firearms and a machete to the hotel owner, along with threats to use those weapons to harm the owner and his family. During a search of HALL's residence in Arizona conducted on November 22, 2024, the firearms depicted in the text messages, among other weapons and ammunition, were recovered. The two firearms-neither of which is registered in HALL's name-were located alongside his wallet in his backpack. One of the firearms was loaded.

HALL's threats toward the Victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various other individuals. The targets of his threats are located throughout the U.S. In these communications, HALL consistently used violent and threatening language, and often targeted Jews.

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In addition to his prison term, HALL, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI's Newark Field Office. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, the Mesa Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department in Clifton, New Jersey.

This case is being handled by the Office's Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Adelsberg is in charge of the prosecution.

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