DOJ charges New Jersey man with hate crimes for attacks against Jewish community

Authorities have charged a man with federal hate crimes in connection with a series of violent attacks against members of the Orthodox Jewish community. 

The Justice Department said in a press release on Wednesday that authorities have charged Dion Marsh of Manchester, N.J., with multiple counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Specifically, he is charged with willfully causing bodily injury to four victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to three of his victims due to their religion. 

He has also been charged with one count of carjacking.

According to court documents, on April 8, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his vehicle, assaulting and injuring him in the process. 

Later that day, Marsh allegedly used a different vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, causing the victim to suffer several broken bones. 

Marsh later in the evening allegedly used the first victim’s vehicle to hit another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in the Lakewood, N.J., area. Marsh allegedly got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing significant injuries to the victim.

Authorities allege that Marsh then used the same vehicle to hit yet another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, N.J., causing the victim to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries, according to the Justice Department.

Following Marsh’s alleged violent crime spree, authorities arrested him at his residence around midnight on April 9.

If convicted, Marsh, 27, could faces a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for each the hate crime charge for willfully causing bodily injury to four victims.

The hate crime charge for assaulting the fourth victim additionally carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the carjacking charge a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Marsh is currently in police custody and will make his initial court appearance at a later date that has not yet been determined.