WASHINGTON — A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for sending threatening communications to Jewish institutions across the United States, federal officials said Monday.

Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $40,000 fine and additional penalties, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors said Seferlis pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including mailing threatening communications and interfering with the free exercise of religion. Authorities said he sent dozens of letters over more than a year to synagogues, schools, museums and other Jewish organizations in several states.

Many of the messages included threats of violence against buildings and individuals, and were intended to intimidate recipients and disrupt religious activity, officials said.

Federal authorities said the case underscores the seriousness of threats targeting religious communities and warned that such actions will be prosecuted under federal law.

The investigation involved the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office handling the case.