Clift Seferlis, a 55-year-old man from Garrett Park, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs. The charges stem from his deliberate targeting of Jewish organizations across the country, including synagogues, Jewish museums, schools, and community centers. Seferlis’s threats, which spanned over a year, were aimed at disrupting the religious practices of Jewish communities and instilling fear within the institutions he targeted, prosecutors said.

The Department of Justice revealed that Seferlis used the U.S. Postal Service to send at least 40 threatening letters and two postcards between March 2024 and June 2025. These communications were directed at more than 25 Jewish organizations located in multiple jurisdictions, from synagogues in Washington, D.C., to Jewish community centers in Philadelphia and Rockville, Maryland. The contents of the letters included threats to destroy physical buildings and harm individuals within these institutions.

Seferlis’s campaign of terror began with his first threats on March 6, 2024, and continued throughout 2025. Over a series of months, Seferlis targeted institutions in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, sending threatening messages on specific dates that included threats of injury or death to the recipients. Notably, several of these communications contained threats involving dangerous weapons, fire, or explosives.

The defendant’s actions obstructed the free exercise of religion for those attending the targeted institutions. By sending these menacing communications, Seferlis intended to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, preventing congregants and others from fully enjoying their right to practice their faith. The attacks on Jewish institutions, including multiple synagogues, disrupted the peaceful observance of religious practices and contributed to a sense of insecurity within these communities.

Seferlis’s actions were not limited to vague threats. As court documents revealed, his communications were explicitly designed to instill fear in the recipients. Threatening to harm the occupants of several synagogues, Seferlis aimed to hinder the ability of these religious communities to worship and gather without fear. His threats included details of potential violence, such as the use of firearms and explosives, which added a chilling element to the crimes he committed.

Following his arrest in June 2025, Seferlis was charged with the offenses outlined in court filings. He waived his right to a trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and agreed to be charged in this district. Seferlis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2026, and he faces a maximum sentence of 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $5,650,000.

This case, investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County Police Department, and other agencies, underscores the continued threat faced by religious communities across the nation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The conviction comes as part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. government to combat hate-driven violence and threats against religious communities. The Anti-Defamation League, Secure Community Network, and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center also contributed to the investigation.

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