A Maryland man, Clift Seferlis, 55, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges related to threats sent to Jewish organizations in several states. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney in Philadelphia, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Seferlis admitted guilt on 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs. The charges stem from a series of letters and postcards he sent between March 2024 and June 2025 to more than 25 Jewish institutions, including synagogues, museums, community centers, schools, non-profit organizations, and a delicatessen. These messages contained threats to destroy buildings or injure individuals.
The indictment lists specific incidents where Seferlis used the U.S. Postal Service to deliver threats on various dates to Jewish institutions located in Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Each communication threatened harm to the occupants.
Court documents state that Seferlis “by threat of force, intentionally obstructed and attempted to obstruct congregants and other attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs,” specifically by threatening harm at several synagogues across different jurisdictions. Some offenses included threats involving dangerous weapons or explosives.
Seferlis waived venue for those offenses committed outside the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and agreed to be prosecuted there.
He is scheduled for sentencing on March 16. If given the maximum penalty for all charges, Seferlis could face up to 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines totaling $5.65 million.
The investigation was led by FBI Philadelphia with support from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. Additional assistance came from groups such as the Anti-Defamation League and Secure Community Network.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
