Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A federal grand jury has indicted Stanislav Yelizarov, 35, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, on charges of threatening the family of a federal official. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents state that Yelizarov was previously convicted in the District of Maryland and is currently involved in further legal proceedings there as well as in the Fourth Circuit. The alleged victim is an Assistant U.S. Attorney from the District of Maryland who prosecuted Yelizarov’s earlier cases.
On March 23, 2024, Yelizarov allegedly used a recorded prison telephone line to threaten to kill the prosecutor’s “whole family.” Authorities also report that he had previously sent threatening letters to the same prosecutor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons led the investigation into these threats, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California received support from its counterparts in Maryland and Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting this case.
If found guilty, Yelizarov could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; sentencing would be determined by the court after considering statutory factors and guidelines. Authorities emphasized that “the charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
