July 20, 2015

New York Man Charged with Making Threatening Phone Calls to Flagstaff Elementary Schools

FLAGSTAFF, AZ—Viktor Lisnyak, 29, of Staten Island, N.Y., was arrested by federal agents on July 17, 2015, and charged via complaint with five counts of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce.

The affidavit supporting the complaint alleges that, on multiple occasions between March 2015 and May 2015, an unknown caller placed telephone calls to elementary schools in Flagstaff, Ariz., and threatened to “kill the children.” The affidavit further alleges that, even though this caller used fictitious names and fictitious e-mail accounts in an attempt to conceal his true identity, investigators were eventually able to identify the defendant, Mr. Lisnyak, as the person who placed the calls.

Each violation is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Flagstaff Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Camille Bibles, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona.