A federal grand jury has indicted Stanislav Yelizarov, 35, an inmate at 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 had been previously convicted in the District of Maryland and was undergoing further legal proceedings in both the District of Maryland and the Fourth Circuit. The prosecutor involved is an Assistant U.S. Attorney from the District of Maryland.
On March 23, 2024, Yelizarov allegedly used a recorded prison telephone line to threaten the Assistant U.S. Attorney, stating his intention to kill the prosecutor’s “whole family.” Authorities say he had also sent threatening letters to the same prosecutor prior to this incident.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California worked with its counterparts in Maryland and Virginia on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting.
If found guilty, Yelizarov could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; however, sentencing would be determined by the court based on statutory factors and federal guidelines that consider several variables.
“The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to officials.
