United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest of Clift A. Seferlis, 55, from Garrett Park, Maryland. Seferlis faces charges for allegedly mailing threatening communications to Jewish organizations.
According to the criminal complaint, since March 1, 2024, Seferlis is accused of sending numerous threats via mail to Jewish entities in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and other locations. The letters reportedly contain references to Gaza and Israel and suggest that recipients could become victims of violence similar to past attacks on Jewish people.
One specific letter was postmarked in Philadelphia on May 7, 2025. It was addressed to a Jewish institution’s employee identified by the initials J.G. The letter included statements about reliance on donors and increasing hatred toward Jewish institutions and Israel.
Victim Jewish Institution 1 reported receiving several similar messages since April 1, 2024. These communications threatened physical destruction and referenced “Kristallnacht” along with a need for future rebuilding after destruction.
The investigation involved FBI Philadelphia with support from FBI Baltimore, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff is prosecuting the case.
The charges are accusations at this stage. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
