LAKEWOOD – A Manchester man who was recently arrested for committing a string of crimes and assaults against members of the Orthodox Jewish community has now been charged with federal hate crimes, officials said.
Dion Marsh, 27, of Manchester, was charged with four counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking in connection to events that occurred in Lakewood and Jackson on April 8.
In addition, Marsh is charged with willfully causing bodily injury to four victims, and attempting to cause them injury with a dangerous weapon, because they were Jewish. Marsh is charged with attempting to kill three of them after he stabbed the victim in the chest.
The series of events started around 1:18 p.m. According to officials, Marsh forced an Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him in the process. He then stole the man’s car and fled the scene.
Around 6:06 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he intentionally hit another Orthodox Jewish man with the car, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones, officials said.
About an hour later, Marsh was driving the car he had stolen earlier and attempted to kill another Orthodox Jewish man by deliberately hitting him with the car. Marsh then got out of the car and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries, officials said.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh was still driving the stolen car when he hit another 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, officials said.
Investigation revealed that Marsh was responsible for all of these criminal acts and on April 9, detectives arrested Marsh at his home in Manchester without incident.
The three hate crimes where he attempted to kill his victims each carry a statutory maximum term of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr.; officers of the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; officers of the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; prosecutors and detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
