San Jose man sentenced to 10 years for two electric transformer bombings

A San Jose man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for bombing PG&E electrical transformers in San Jose on two occasions in 2022 and 2023, prosecutors said.

Peter Karasev, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully destroying energy facilities in April for the incidents, admitting that he had used explosive devices he made himself to damage the facilities and spark widespread blackouts in the surrounding areas, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice. He also admitted that the plans were deliberate and premeditated.

“Karasev’s attacks on critical infrastructure were direct threats to public safety and national security,” Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, said in a statement. “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.”

U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman also sentenced Karasev to three years of supervised release, authorities said. He was ordered to pay $214,880.67 in restitution and $200 in special assessment.

The two attacks caused more than $200,000 in damage to businesses and caused outages to more than 1,500 houses in the city, authorities said. Fifteen of the impacted households were part of PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program, which means they required power to run life-saving medical equipment.

“Karasev’s specialized knowledge in explosives, the vast quantity of bombmaking materials discovered in his home, and his readiness to deploy both against our Nation’s energy infrastructure made him a very dangerous individual who posed a significant risk to public safety,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement. “The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting attacks on critical infrastructure to the fullest extent of the law.”

Prior to the bombings, Karasev had carried out “extensive” internet searches on geopolitical conflicts, attacks on infrastructure and explosives, authorities said.

“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,” Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said in a statement. “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.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, authorities said. It was investigated by the FBI and the San Jose Police Department.

Karasev was remanded into custody after his hearing to begin serving his sentence, authorities added.