An Arizona man, Donovan Hall, was sentenced to 49 months in federal prison on October 30, 2025, for waging a sustained campaign of interstate threats and stalking against Jewish victims in New York City.
Hall, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty after being remanded for approximately 10 months following his arrest. The prison term is near the maximum allowed for his crimes. In addition to incarceration, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Campaign of Intimidation and Terror
According to statements made by authorities and court filings, over a period of three months, Hall contacted several New York victims approximately 1,000 times, making anti-Semitic and violent threats to torture, mutilate, rape, and murder them and their families.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York condemned the actions. “Donovan Hall targeted Jewish victims with a sustained campaign of intimidation, terror, and harassment,” Clayton stated. “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.”
Escalation of Threats and Weapons Recovery
The harassment, which began in August 2024, initially targeted the Jewish owner of a Manhattan hotel, the owner’s family, and hotel staff with dozens of threatening, often anti-Semitic, phone calls.
The conduct escalated in October 2024 when Hall sent text messages to the hotel owner containing photographs of two firearms and a machete, alongside explicit threats to use the weapons to cause harm. When Hall’s Arizona residence was searched on November 22, 2024, law enforcement recovered the depicted firearms, along with other weapons and ammunition. One of the unregistered firearms was loaded and found near his wallet.
Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI’s Newark Field Office emphasized the seriousness of the conviction. “Hall’s sentencing speaks volumes about the severity of his crimes, and the seriousness with which the law takes them… 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.”
Authorities noted that Hall’s threats against the New York victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various individuals across the U.S., consistently using violent language and often targeting Jews.
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