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An Arizona man has been sentenced to 49 months in federal prison for leading a violent antisemitic campaign against Jewish New Yorkers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Donovan Hall waged a three-month spree of terror against a Jewish hotel owner, the owner’s relatives, and hotel staff. He sent more than 1,000 threats, many describing torture, rape, and murder.
In August 2024, Hall began making dozens of threatening phone calls to the owner of Manhattan’s Blue Moon Hotel. Two months later, he escalated further. In October, he texted photos of two firearms and a machete, warning he would use them to harm the victims.
Federal agents later raided Hall’s home in Arizona on November 22, 2024. They seized several weapons, including a loaded gun not registered in his name.
Federal Officials: Hate Crimes Will Face Full Accountability
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said the case demonstrated the government’s commitment to prosecuting hate-motivated crimes.
“Hall’s sentencing speaks volumes about the severity of his crimes, and the seriousness with which the law takes them,” Roddy said.
She warned that people who think they can “hide behind computers, phone lines, and texts” are mistaken. “The FBI will not relent in seeking justice for the victims of these egregious crimes.”
Prosecutors said Hall’s guilty plea and near-maximum sentence reflect the calculated and sustained nature of his antisemitic campaign.
A Symbol of Jewish Life Becomes a Target
The Blue Moon Hotel, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, honors the neighborhood’s Jewish roots. It houses the only kosher-certified hotel cafe in the borough.
“This hotel is filled with a love of New York City and a love of the Jewish life that flourished here,” owner Randy Settenbrino told The Media Line during the harassment campaign.
The Settenbrino family faced doxing, vandalism, and online incitement, including negative reviews on travel websites. Their eldest son, Bram, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, was singled out on social media wearing his IDF uniform with warnings such as, “This hotel belongs to a Jewish terror family and needs to be closed in one way or another. No mercy.”
Business dropped 30% compared to the previous year, and the family lived under constant fear.
Online Hate Turns into Real-World Threats
The harassment extended beyond Hall’s threats. An Instagram account called Stop Arab Hate posted videos of Bram in uniform and shared the family’s contact details. Flyers circulated with his photo, urging people to boycott the hotel and branding him a “Zionist.”
This digital incitement spilled into the real world. What began online became a campaign of intimidation that endangered lives and livelihoods.
The FBI’s investigation shows how antisemitic hate online can rapidly evolve into real-world violence. Hall’s prison term stands as a warning that threats against Jews — whether online or offline — carry serious legal consequences.
