Man sentenced to over 3 years in federal prison for threats to the Jewish community
Clift Seferlis, of Garrett Park, Md., was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $40,000 fine, and a $2,200 special assessment for mailing threatening communications targeting Jewish institutions and organizations, United States Attorney David Metcalf recently announced.
In November of last year, Seferlis, 55, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs, arising from threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities.
As detailed in court filings, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, Seferlis used the United States mail to send at least 40 letters and two postcards to more than 25 Jewish institutions and organizations, including synagogues, Jewish museums, community centers, schools, nonprofit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen, located in multiple jurisdictions. Many of these written communications threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or injure individuals, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said via a press release.
The threatening communications were intended to intimidate recipients and interfere with congregants and others in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs.
“Threats directed at religious institutions are attacks not just on those communities but on the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans,” said Metcalf. “Individuals who attempt to intimidate or terrorize others because of their faith will face the full force of federal law.”
“This case serves as a stark reminder that members of our community can still face threats because of their beliefs,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “No one should have to live in fear because of who they are or what they believe. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting every member of our community and holding those who seek to intimidate or harm others fully accountable.”
“The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia are grateful to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Mark A. Kearney for holding Clift A. Seferlis accountable through today’s sentencing,” those groups said in a joint statement, after Seferlis was sentenced.
“Between April 2024 and June 2025, Mr. Seferlis sent threatening letters to members of The Weitzman’s staff in an attempt to intimidate a Jewish institution and the people who work there. Investigators say he also targeted Jewish institutions in Washington, D.C., and other communities through a broader campaign of threats,” they said.
“It is critically important that those who seek to intimidate Jewish institutions are identified and held accountable. We thank the FBI, the Secure Community Network (SCN), and other partners for their coordinated work. Together, we remain committed to ensuring that Jewish institutions nationwide and in Greater Philadelphia continue to be welcoming, vibrant places where people can gather safely and proudly.”
The Seferlis case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. The Anti-Defamation League, Secure Community Network, and Delaware Valley Intelligence Center also aided with this case.
The case was prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dubnoff for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, officials said.
