A Maryland man received more than three years in federal prison for mailing threatening communications to Philadelphia’s Weitzman Museum and other Jewish institutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on Monday. According to prosecutors, Clift Sefe rlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Md., was sentenced to 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $40,000 fine and a $2,200 special assessment. Seferlis had plead guilty in Nov. 2025 to 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs, prosecutors said. In all, Seferlis admitted to sending at least 40 letters and two post cards to 25 Jewish institutions nationwide, including synagogues, schools, museums, nonprofit organizations, community centers and a delicatessen, prosecutors said. Many of Seferlis’ threats included “threatening to destroy physical buildings and/or injure individuals,” prosecutors said. “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 release. “Individuals who attempt to intimidate or terrorize others because of their faith will face the full force of federal law.” In a statement after the sentence was announced, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History that its staff were among the people targeted by Seferlis. “Between April 2024 and June 2025, Mr. Seferlis sent threatening letters to members of The Weitzman’s staff in an attempt to intimidate a Jewish institution and the people who work there,” the statement, which was released alongside the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, read in part. “Investigators say he also targeted Jewish institutions in Washington, D.C., and other communities through a broader campaign of threats.” “It is critically important that those who seek to intimidate Jewish institutions are identified and held accountable,” the statement continued. “We thank the FBI, the Secure Community Network (SCN) and other partners for their coordinated work. Together, we remain committed to ensuring that Jewish institutions nationwide and in Greater Philadelphia continue to be welcoming, vibrant places where people can gather safely and proudly.” The statement also thanked the judge, Mark A. Kearney, for his sentence of Seferlis. ...read more read less