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PHILADELPHIA – Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to sending threatening communications to Jewish organizations across multiple states.
Seferlis admitted in court to sending at least 40 letters and two postcards to over 25 Jewish organizations from March 2024 to June 2025. These threats targeted synagogues, community centers and other Jewish entities, warning of potential violence and destruction.
The threats were mailed to institutions in various locations, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. In some instances, the communications referenced violent events and suggested similar acts could occur.
25 total counts
What we know:
Seferlis was charged with 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Philadelphia, with support from several other agencies, including FBI Baltimore and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Anti-Defamation League and Secure Community Network also assisted.
What we don’t know:
Details about Seferlis’s motivations or any potential accomplices have not been disclosed. It remains unclear how the threats were linked to him initially.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Crime & Public SafetyMarylandPennsylvaniaWashington, D.C.