A Maryland man, Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, pleaded guilty Monday to 25 federal charges related to a year-long campaign of sending threatening communications to Jewish organizations across the Mid-Atlantic and New England.
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the guilty plea, which includes 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs.
Court filings detailed that from at least March 2024 through June 2025, Seferlis used the U.S. Postal Service to transmit more than 40 letters and two postcards to over 25 Jewish organizations and entities in multiple jurisdictions. The targets included synagogues, Jewish museums, community centers, schools, non-profits, and even a Jewish delicatessen.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
In his plea, Seferlis admitted that many of these communications contained threats to destroy physical buildings and/or injure individuals. The threats specifically named institutions in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Fairfax and Falls Church, Virginia; Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Hagerstown, Maryland; and Brookline, Massachusetts.
Beyond mailing threats of violence, Seferlis also admitted to intentionally obstructing and attempting to obstruct congregants and attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening occupants of at least eight different synagogues.
Details of the Charges:
- Obstruction of Religious Beliefs: Eight counts related to threatening individuals at synagogues, including the use or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, fire, or explosives in four instances targeting institutions in Virginia and Maryland.
- Targeted Institutions: Threats were delivered to institutions in five states and the District of Columbia.
- Timeline: The criminal activity spanned over a year, from early 2024 to mid-2025.
Seferlis, who waived venue to be charged in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for all offenses, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16.
He faces a maximum possible sentence of 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,650,000.
READ: Polk County Sheriff Says Re-Arrested Winter Haven Man Is A “Jerk With A Capital J”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
