Engineer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Bombings of PG&E Transformers, Causing Property Damage and Widespread Power Outages

Peter Karasev, 39, of San Jose, California, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence.

“Karasev’s attacks on critical infrastructure were direct threats to public safety and national security,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “He aimed to inflict widespread disruption and harm, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who threaten the safety and well-being of the residents of San Jose. We and our law enforcement partners will leverage every available resource to ensure that violent extremists like the defendant face the full force of justice.”

“This defendant admitted to attacking critical infrastructure which could have harmed people in the San Jose, California community and he will now face the consequences of his actions,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This individual conducted research and prepared homemade explosives which knocked out power to multiple homes and caused more than $200,000 in property damage to local businesses. The FBI will work with our partners to identify and hold accountable those who engage in such dangerous and illegal acts.”

Read more: Department of Justice