Pikesville Man Pleads Guilty In Federal Court To 2009 Murder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                                     at (410) 209-4855

Baltimore, Maryland – On September 8, 2017, Stanislav “Steven” Yelizarov, age 27, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to 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 victim of the 2009 murder was Wayne Ruder.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore City Police Department; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police.

A summary of the facts that the government would prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial noted that 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, valued at more than $22,000. Yelizarov sold the diamond to Ruder for approximately $9,000 cash. Yelizarov later came to believe that the diamond was worth significantly more and that Ruder had cheated 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. Following the burglary, Yelizarov searched for and purchased .22 subsonic ammunition.

In addition, the government was prepared to prove that 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 days and weeks regarding the transaction, which Ruder reported was going to involve over $30,000 worth of gold. On December 25, 2009, Ruder agreed to meet Yelizarov at his store the following day. On December 26, 2009, after a number of phone calls between Yelizarov and Ruder, Yelizarov drove to the store and went in the front door. Using the stolen Llama 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 3 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.

Yelizarov faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis has scheduled sentencing for December 21, 2017 at 10 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI, Baltimore City Police and Baltimore County Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Zelinsky who assisted the investigation and U.S. Attorneys Paul Budlow and Daniel Gardner who are prosecuting the case.