On August 29, 2013 there was a two-car collision on Williams Lake Road. Yuriy Mikheyev was operating one of the cars. Witnesses stated that they observed Mr. Mikheyev cross the centerline and hit the other vehicle. Law enforcement observed an open bottle of whiskey in Mr. Mikheyev’s car and noted that he smelled of intoxicants. Washington State Patrol Troopers applied for a search warrant and obtained a sample of his blood. Testing at the Washington State Crime Laboratory revealed that Mr. Mikheyev’s Blood Alcohol Concentration was 0.29, over three times the legal limit.

During the course of the investigation, the computer installed in Mr. Mikeyev’s car was examined and the data downloaded and analyzed. It showed that he was accelerating as he crossed the centerline. He was charged with one count of Vehicular Assault.

Mr. Mikheyev appeared at his initial court appearances but then failed to appear and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Sheriff’s Detectives were able to determine that he was living near Atlanta, Georgia. With the assistance of the US Marshals, Mr. Mikeyev was arrested. He resisted extradition back to Washington to face the charges. Deputy Prosecutor Lech Radzimski requested and obtained a Governor’s Warrant and Mr. Mikeheyev was brought back to Washington to by members of the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office to finally face the charges.

On January 27, 2014 Mr. Mikheyev pled guilty to Vehicular Assault and Bail Jumping. Superior Court Judge Pat Monasmith presided at the hearing. Michael Golden represented Mr. Mikheyev. After hearing from all the participants, Judge Monasmith sentenced Mr. Mikheyev to 20 months in prison, the maximum possible in this situation. He also ordered him to serve 18 months of probation after his release and undergo chemical dependency treatment.

Mr. Mikheyev is not a US citizen and faces possible deportation for this offense. Our office will do everything possible to influence the federal authorities to deport this individual. I cannot see any reason why we would want to keep him here. Perhaps he would be welcome in his home country, but it seems to me he has worn out his welcome here. I hope the federal authorities see it the same way. Good riddance.