During the summer 1931 protogerovist congress, along with Grigor Petkov, Lev was chosen as a runner-up in the central committee. He was stationed at a camp in Karlovo, but fled his post in early 1934 together with Petar Shandanov. After that, he participated in the preparations for the 1934 coup d'état and in the persecution of Mihailov's followers. In 1935, he killed his mistress in Bankya, hiding with relatives in Sofia afterwards. In 1936, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.