PHILADELPHIA — A Maryland man has pleaded guilty in federal court for sending threatening letters to Jewish organizations across the country, including institutions in the Philadelphia region, in a case with implications for Northeastern Pennsylvania communities.

Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, admitted Monday before U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney to 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs.

Court documents show that from March 2024 through June 2025, Seferlis mailed at least 40 letters and two postcards to more than 25 Jewish organizations, including synagogues, schools, museums, and community centers. Many of the letters contained threats to injure people or destroy property.

Threats Reached Pennsylvania

Among the recipients were Philadelphia-area institutions, highlighting the reach of Seferlis’s threats into Pennsylvania communities. Some communications also targeted organizations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts, with several including threats of using fire, explosives, or other dangerous weapons.

Seferlis waived venue for institutions outside the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and agreed to be prosecuted in Philadelphia. He is scheduled for sentencing on March 16, 2026, and faces a maximum of 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines totaling $5.65 million.

Federal Response

The investigation was led by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI Baltimore, the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Local organizations, including the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center and the Anti-Defamation League, provided additional support.

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf stressed that the case demonstrates federal authorities’ commitment to protecting religious communities in Pennsylvania and beyond, including congregants in the Northeastern region, from threats designed to intimidate and disrupt religious practice.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.