Update:
Seferlis was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and $2,200 special assessment fee related to the mailed threats.
“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.”
Original Story:
A Garrett Park man has pleaded guilty to sending violent threats to 25 Jewish organizations and institutions throughout the country, including several in Maryland.
Clift Seferlis, 55, admitted to mailing at least 40 letters and two postcards to more than two-dozen Jewish entities such as synagogues, museums, community centers, schools, non-profit organizations, and businesses.
In his letters, Seferlis threatened to destroy buildings and physically injure people.
Federal prosecutors say the mailings were sent out between March 2024 and June 2025.
Half-a-dozen letters were sent to addresses in Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Hagerstown.
Seferlis faces a maximum of 169 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 16.
