LAKEWOOD, NJ (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A New Jersey man pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court to six charges related to a series of violent attacks against members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and near Lakewood on one day in 2022, the Department of Justice said.
Dion Marsh, 29, pleaded guilty to five counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking, prosecutors said.
The charges relate to Marsh, of Manchester, New Jersey, assaulting five people with his fists, cars and a knife because they were Jewish.
“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 for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. “Today, he pleaded guilty to these hate crimes and a carjacking, and my office will ask the judge to impose a sentence that holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate filled rampage.”
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Marsh conducted his series of assaults on April 8, 2022 and targeted victims wearing traditional garments worn by Orthodox Jewish people.
At 1:18 p.m., Marsh carjacked a visibly Orthodox Jewish man in Lakewood. He forced the victim out of his car, assaulted and injured him, and drove off in the vehicle.
Marsh was driving around Lakewood in another car by 5:20 p.m. and struck another visibly Orthodox Jewish man in an attempt to kill him. He repeated this with a third victim at 6:06 p.m., causing the man to suffer several broken bones.
The defendant returned to the car he stole from his first victim by 6:55 p.m., and struck a fourth victim who was walking in Lakewood. Marsh then exited the car and used a knife to stab the man in the chest.
He concluded the spree by using the first victim's car to run over a fifth victim, who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, in an attempt to kill him. The man suffered broken bones and internal injuries.
Each victim survived their assault, but all sustained injuries.
“This defendant is being held accountable for his series of depraved, antisemitic assaults against members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division said. “Hate-filled acts of violence, intended to harm, intimidate and isolate communities, have no place in our society.
Marsh is expected to be sentenced on June 11.
The four hate crime violations in which he attempted to kill the victim carry a maximum of life in prison, while the other assault and carjacking carry a maximum term of 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively. Each charge also carries a $250,000 fine, meaning that Marsh could face $1.5 million in all, the DOJ said.
Friday's guilty plea comes after Dion pleaded guilty to one count of terrorism on Jan. 24 in state court, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
When Marsh was arrested by law enforcement officers at his Manchester residence on the same day of the attacks, he was initially charged with a slew of criminal offenses. But in consideration of the nature of the attacks, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer sought approval from the New Jersey Attorney General to charge the defendant with terrorism. In accordance, Marsh was charged on April 14, 2022.
The State will be seeking a term of 30 years in New Jersey State Prison without parole at his sentencing on March 22, 2024, prosecutors said.
The federal courts will determine whether Marsh serves his state and federal sentences concurrently or consecutively.
“Let no one question our resolve when it comes to fighting hatred and bigotry. To those who would seek to terrorize innocent citizens in Ocean County, our message is simple and clear: we will pursue you, prosecute you, and ultimately convict you. And we will do everything within our power to send you to prison for a very long time," Billhimer said.
Anyone who has been the victim of a hate crime or has information for the FBI or law enforcement are asked to go to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
“Silence won’t solve it, and we can’t help if we don’t know about it,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said.