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Pennsylvania

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 Hate Crime Statistics Case Examples News 

DOJ Offices 
 


2023 Hate Crime Statistics for Pennsylvania*

Bias Motivation Categories by Year

Bias Motivation Category202120222023
Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry117199158
Religion194182
Sexual Orientation254638
Disability173
Gender112
Gender Identity0315
Total:163297298

Types of Crime

Crimes Against Persons22069.4%
Crimes Against Property9730.6%
Crimes Against Society00.0%

Bias Motivation Categories

Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry15853.0%
Religion8227.5%
Sexual Orientation3812.8%
Disability31.0%
Gender20.7%
Gender Identity155.0%

 


*2021 was the first year that the annual hate crimes statistics were reported entirely through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).  As a result of the shift to NIBRS-only data collection, law enforcement agency participation in submitting all crime statistics, including hate crimes, fell significantly from 2020 to 2021.  


Case Examples

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for planning and carrying out hate crimes against residents of the in-patient health care facility where he worked. The residents had a range of severe physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and required assistance with daily activities.

The defendant and his coworker planned a series of assaults, including punching and kicking disabled residents and rubbing hand sanitizer and mouth wash in their eyes. In one instance, the defendant admitted to jumping on top of a 13-year-old minor while the child was lying on his bed with the lights off, and his coworker recorded him. The co-defendants would send graphic text messages to each other, expressing hate toward the disabled residents, sharing photographs and videos of residents, writing about their abuse, and encouraging each other’s continued abuse of residents. They took advantage of their one-on-one access with the residents who could not defend themselves because of their disabilities.

The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His co-defendant also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Sentencing: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employee-beaver-county-health-care-facility-sentenced-10-years-prison-following

Guilty Plea: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employee-beaver-county-health-care-facility-pleads-guilty-federal-hate-crime

Indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employees-beaver-county-health-care-facility-indicted-federal-hate-crime-charges

After two months of trial, a federal jury in Pittsburgh unanimously recommended that a Pennsylvania man be sentenced to death for killing 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, critically wounding seven others, including five responding police officers.

On October 27, 2018, the assailant entered the Tree of Life Synagogue during worship with multiple firearms and stated his desire to “kill Jews.” He shot and killed 11 congregants, injuring two other members of the congregation and five law enforcement officers. Evidence showed that the defendant meticulously planned his attack based on his violently antisemitic beliefs, reflected in dozens of online posts.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/jury-recommends-sentence-death-pennsylvania-man-convicted-tree-life-synagogue-shooting

Additional Charges Filed: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/additional-charges-filed-tree-life-synagogue-shooting-0

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for committing federal hate crimes and related offenses involving numerous severely disabled victims at a healthcare facility.

Residents at the facility have a range of severe disabilities and many need help with daily activities, like bathing, using the bathroom, eating, and dressing.

According to the plea, the defendant and a co-defendant texted each other about their hatred of the facility’s residents. The men allegedly punched and kicked residents, jumped on them, and sprayed irritants in their eyes and mouths. The men shared pictures and videos of their attacks on residents and encouraged each other’s further abuse of residents. They may have avoided detection because the victims were non-verbal and unable to report the abuse.

The case against the co-defendant remains pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employee-beaver-county-health-care-facility-sentenced-17-years-prison-following

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employee-beaver-county-health-care-facility-pleads-guilty-federal-hate-crime

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/former-employees-beaver-county-health-care-facility-indicted-federal-hate-crime-charges

A Leighton man has been charged with transmitting threats across state lines to cause bodily injury to another person.

The defendant allegedly used fake names online to post hundreds of anti-Semitic, anti-black, and anti-Muslim messages, images, and videos. Several of these posts, like the one charged in the complaint, included threats to various religious and racial groups. Other posts expressed a desire to commit genocide and “hate crimes,” and called for or depicted images of the killing of Jewish people, black people, and Muslim people”. On March 13, 2019, the defendant allegedly posted a digitally-created image of his arm and hand aiming an AR-15 rifle at a congregation of praying Jewish men, gathered in what appears to be a synagogue.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 years of imprisonment for each violation, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/lehighton-man-charged-internet-threats

News

November 20, 2024

Two Pittsburgh Area Residents Indicted for Vandalizing Jewish Building


May 24, 2024

California Woman Sentenced to Prison for Making Antisemitic Phone Threats to Former Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue


April 19, 2024

Former Employee of Pennsylvania Health Care Facility Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Conviction on Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to Assaults Against Disabled Residents


March 20, 2024

U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Pennsylvania Meets With Faith Leaders to Promote the United Against Hate Initiative


February 28, 2024

U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania Holds United Against Hate Program at Local High School


January 26, 2024

U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania Holds United Against Hate Program At Central York High School


December 7, 2023

U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Pennsylvania Hosts Faith Leaders Forum as Part of Department of Justice’s United Against Hate Initiative


December 4, 2023

Former Employee of Pennsylvania Health Care Facility Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to Assaults Against Disabled Residents


October 23, 2023

U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Pennsylvania and WHYY Present Philadelphia Premiere of ‘Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life’ as Part of Fight Against Hate


September 19, 2023

FBI Pittsburgh Encourages People to Report Hate Crimes


August 30, 2023

West Virginia Man Ordered Detained Following Federal Indictment


August 2, 2023

Jury Recommends Sentence of Death for Pennsylvania Man Convicted for Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting


June 5, 2023

U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of California and Not In Our Town Present Documentary on Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre


March 13, 2023

U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania Continues to Promote the United Against Hate Initiative


January 27, 2023

Former Employee of Pennsylvania Health Care Facility Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison on Federal Hate Crime Charges Against Disabled Residents


November 18, 2022

U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania Launches United Against Hate Initiative


October 13, 2022

Former Employee of Pennsylvania Health Care Facility Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to Assaults Against Disabled Residents


March 25, 2022

Former Employees of Pennsylvania Health Care Facility Indicted on Federal Hate Crime Charges


October 22, 2021

Acting U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Discuss Collaborative Asian Community Safety Initiative


September 24, 2021

FBI Pittsburgh Encourages Western Pennsylvania to Report Hate Crimes


July 14, 2021

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Internet Threats Against the Jewish Community


March 30, 2020

Lehighton Man Charged With Internet Threats


April 30, 2019

Ceremony Honors Western Pennsylvania Victims Rights’ Advocates


April 25, 2019

Benton Man Sentenced To 24 Months’ Imprisonment For Possessing Illegal Firearms


April 11, 2019

Lehighton Man Charged With Racist Internet Threats


January 29, 2019

Additional Charges Filed in Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting


November 13, 2018

Anti-Defamation League, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center Host Security Conference for Religious Institutions


November 7, 2018

Benton Man Charged With Illegal Machinegun Possession


October 31, 2018

U.S. Attorney’s Office And FBI To Host Community Meeting To Discuss Hate Crimes In The Wake Of The Tragic Events In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


October 29, 2018

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady Remarks following Robert Bowers' Initial Appearance


October 27, 2018

Attorney General Sessions Delivered the Following Statement About Today’s Tragedy in Pittsburgh


August 21, 2018

"Tacony Dungeon" Defendant Jean McIntosh Sentenced to 40 Years Imprisonment


April 6, 2018

Bethel Park Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act


November 28, 2017

Suburban Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime


March 16, 2017

Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Hate Crime Assault


February 23, 2017

Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to Prison for Hate Crime at Downtown Pittsburgh T-Station


DOJ Offices

FBI Field Offices
FBI

 

Philadelphia
William J. Green, Jr. Building
600 Arch Street, 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

T: 215.418.4000
philadelphia.fbi.gov
Pittsburgh
3311 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

T: 412.432.4000
pittsburgh.fbi.gov

U.S. Attorneys' Offices
DOJ

 

Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/contact-us

Middle District of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg)
www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/contact-us

Western District of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/contact-us


CRS Regional Office
CRS

 

Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
200 2nd & Chestnut Street
Suite 208
Philadelphia, PA 19106

T: 215.597.2344
F: 215.597.9148
askcrs@usdoj.gov
Updated February 3, 2025