N.J. man pleads guilty to hate crimes against Orthodox Jews

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- An Ocean County, N.J., man admitted in federal court Thursday that he committed a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community near Lakewood, the Justice Department said.

Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester pleaded guilty in federal court to five hate crimes, one count of carjacking and "attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, because they were Jewish," a release from the Justice Department said.

"This defendant violently attacked five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest and attempting to kill them, simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews," U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said.

"My office will ask the judge to impose a sentence that holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate filled rampage. The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality across our state and our nation. That hate is not who we are. We are stronger as a people because no matter what you look like, how you worship, where you come from, or who you love, your civil rights must be respected and protected. My office has no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents."

On April 8, 2022, Marsh attacked members of the Orthodox Jewish faith in and around Lakewood whom he identified by their traditional garments, according to court documents.

His rampage began at 1:18 p.m. when he carjacked a vehicle driven by an Orthodox Jewish man, assaulting and injuring him before stealing his vehicle. Marsh, while driving a different vehicle, deliberately attempted to run down another Orthodox Jewish man, "attempting to kill him," the Department of Justice said in the statement.

At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.

Marsh used the second vehicle to attempt to hit another Orthodox Jewish man "attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones," at 6:06 p.m.

Forty-nine minutes later Marsh, again driving the vehicle stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in Lakewood by deliberately striking him with the vehicle.

"Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries," the statement said.

Then at 8:23 p.m, Marsh used that vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.

The four hate crimes violations charging Marsh with attempting to kill those victims each carry a statutory maximum term of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, the Department of Justice said.

The hate crime violation charging Marsh with assaulting the other victim carries a statutory maximum term of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The carjacking charge carries a statutory maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Marsh is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11.