Baltimore, Maryland - United States District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Stanislav “Steven" Yelizarov, age 28, of Pikesville, Maryland, to twenty years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for one count of Use, Carry and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence Causing the Death of Another.
The sentence was imposed to run consecutive to the 30-year sentence that Yelizarov is serving for the conspiracy, kidnapping, and brandishing a firearm in connection with his role as the leader of a robbery of a jewelry store, carjacking, kidnapping, and an armed home invasion in 2012 through 2013.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Darryl De Sousa of the Baltimore City Police Department; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police.
According to the evidence at the sentencing hearing, Yelizarov was a serial burglar of homes in Baltimore County. The victim, Wayne Ruder, owned a jewelry store on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore City. Ruder’s business bought and sold precious metals and stones, and engaged in business throughout Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania. In March 2009, Yelizarov burglarized the home of an acquaintance and during the course of that burglary, stole a large diamond engagement ring. Yelizarov sold the diamond to Ruder and later came to believe that the diamond was worth significantly more than Ruder had paid him.
In April 2009, Yelizarov burglarized the home of another acquaintance, and stole a number of firearms and accessories, including a Llama handgun that was equipped with a suppressor and had been converted to fire.22-caliber ammunition. Prior to the murder, Yelizarov searched for and purchased.22 subsonic ammunition.
In early December 2009, Yelizarov told Ruder that he had people from New York who were looking to sell a large amount of gold. Yelizarov and Ruder communicated frequently over the next weeks regarding the transaction, which Ruder reported was going to involve over $30,000 worth of gold. On Dec. 25, 2009, Ruder agreed to meet Yelizarov at his store the following day. On Dec. 26, 2009, after a number of phone calls between Yelizarov and Ruder, Yelizarov drove to the store and entered the front door. Using the stolen Llama handgun equipped with a suppressor and loaded with.22-caliber subsonic ammunition, Yelizarov shot Ruder at the store entrance, and then continued to shoot him as he fled to the back of the store. In total, Yelizarov shot Ruder 15 times, including three shots to his back and 10 shots to his head. After killing Ruder, Yelizarov took Ruder’s bank bag, which typically contained between $15,000 and $30,000 of cash.
Subsequent to the robbery and murder, Yelizarov dismantled and disposed of the Llama handgun in a quarry near Yelizarov’s residence.
Also introduced as evidence at trial, while in the Maryland Department of Corrections in 2015, Yelizarov plotted the murder of numerous witnesses in the federal cases against him.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Zelinsky, who assisted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Budlow and Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
