Maryland man sentenced for mailing threats to more than 25 Jewish organizations

A Maryland man was sentenced to three years in prison for mailing threatening letters to Jewish organizations, according to the Department of Justice. 

Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, was also ordered to serve three years of probation after his release,  pay a $40,000 fine and a $2,200 special assessment, court officials said. 

Seferlis pleaded guilty to 17 counts of mailing threatening letters and eight counts of obstructing the exercise of religious beliefs, court documents show. 

Between March 2024 and June 2025, Seferlis sent at least 40 letters and two postcards to more than 25 Jewish institutions, including synagogues, museums, community centers, schools, nonprofit organizations and several Jewish delis, according to court officials. He used the U.S. Postal Service to send the mail. 

Many of the letters included threats to destroy physical buildings and or injure people, court documents show. 

"Threats directed at religious institutions are attacks not just on those communities but on the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans," U.S. Attorney Metcalf said in a statement. "Individuals who attempt to intimidate or terrorize others because of their faith will face the full force of federal law."

According to court officials, the threatening letters were meant to intimidate the recipients and interfere with individuals enjoying their free exercise of religious beliefs. 

"For more than a year, the defendant terrorized Jewish communities across the country, robbing his victims of their peace and security," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The defendant's sentence should be a warning to all that religious-based terror will not be tolerated in this country."