Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr. Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | Penn Carey Law School
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest and charging of Clift A. Seferlis, a 55-year-old resident of Garrett Park, Maryland, for mailing threatening communications. The charges are based on allegations that Seferlis sent numerous threatening letters to Jewish organizations in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and other locations from March 1, 2024, onwards.
The complaint states that many of these letters included threats against Jewish institutions and referenced Gaza, Israel, or incidents involving violence against Jewish people. The messages suggested that the recipients might face similar acts of violence.
One specific letter was typewritten and postmarked in Philadelphia on May 7, 2025. It was addressed to a Jewish institution employee identified by the initials J.G. The letter contained remarks about reliance on donors and rising hatred towards Jewish institutions and Israel.
Since April 1, 2024, this particular institution reportedly received additional threatening messages indicating potential physical destruction. These messages referenced historical events like Kristallnacht and suggested future reconstruction following destruction.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including FBI Philadelphia, FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff is prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that charges in a criminal complaint are accusations only. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
