Former CIA officers have dismissed any suggestion that Whelan could be involved in something similar, operating without diplomatic immunity: the idea, floated by one retired Russian officer, that his arrest was a "great failure" of US intelligence. The Russian government declared Paul Whelan guilty long ago. But he knows it took months of complex, confidential diplomacy to arrange a suitable swap for Frode Berg that eventually involved Russian agents in prison in Lithuania. American Who Loves Russia Ensnared in New Cold War", United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, "American Paul Whelan arrested in Russia on spy charges as potential retribution for Maria Butina", "Brother of American arrested in Russia on spy charges says he was there for a wedding", "American arrested in Russia on spying charges was there for a wedding", "Twin brother of Novi man accused of spying in Russia: He's innocent", " 16 ", "Jeremy Hunt warns Russia not to play 'diplomatic chess games' over British man arrested for spying", " , ", "The curious case of the ex-marine jailed for spying", "Russia keen to raise Paul Whelan's jail time to 18 years", "Ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan sentenced to 16 years jail in Russia", "Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying by Russia, Thrown in Moscow's Most Infamous Dungeon", "Details of Russian obstruction paint bleak picture for American held in Moscow", "Russia's Arrest of Paul Whelan Is Payback for Maria Butina, CIA Veterans Say", "The President* Is So Hopelessly Compromised", "Ambassador Huntsman visits American detained in Moscow", "Russia allows U.S. ambassador to meet with detained American", "American detained by Russia was convicted of trying to steal thousands of dollars while deployed to Iraq as a Marine", "Seor K: Russia and Argentina split over mysterious drug smuggling case", "Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying, Is Said to Be Charged in Russia", "US spy suspect found with Russian 'state secrets', lawyer says", "Moscow Accuses Washington of Detaining Russian Citizen After Whelan's Arrest", "Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, convicted of espionage charges in Russia, gets 16-year prison sentence", "American Paul Whelan convicted of spying by Russia, gets 16 years in prison", "Russian court sentences US citizen Paul Whelan to 16 years in prison", "American Paul Whelan arrives at Russian penal colony after espionage conviction", "Paul Whelan: Grim life of US 'spy' in Russian labour camp", "Trevor Reed came back home, but Paul Whelan is still imprisoned in Russia", "CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan", "In freeing Griner, Biden faced resistance abroad and at home", "Inside Biden's agonizing decision to take a deal that freed Brittney Griner but left Paul Whelan in Russia", "Griner's release puts a spotlight on Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia", "Ex-US marine accused of spying in Russia is British citizen", "US citizen held in Moscow seeks Irish consular aid", "Here's what we know about Paul Whelan, the US citizen accused of spying in Russia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Whelan_(security_director)&oldid=1152256903, American people convicted of spying for the United States, People with acquired American citizenship, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 03:53. His mornings begin at 6 a.m. and his routine is monotonous, but writing letters and reading books in English helped him get through it, he said. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. The case was immediately big news that grew further when it emerged that Whelan was a citizen of four countries. Cellmates get to shower once a week, together, in the basement. So he just thought it's an opportunity to have that, so why not? Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. As described in a military justice fact sheet, this is "one of two types of punitive discharges that may be imposed on an enlisted person" and is "less severe than a Dishonorable Discharge.". Over the summer, reports indicated that the U.S. government was trying to negotiate the release of both Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout. Did he commit any severe crime? Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. "[35], On January 5, 2019, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that on the day after Whelan's arrest the United States had detained a Russian citizen, Dmitry Makarenko, in the Northern Marianas and transported him to Florida to face charges of unauthorized export of defense equipment. "[12], When arrested in Russia, Whelan was director of global security and investigations for BorgWarner, an international automotive parts manufacturer based in Michigan. His job at BorgWarner involves overseeing security for facilities, assets and people in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. True. And yet, unknown to those closest to him, Paul had been court-martialled for trying to steal more than $10,000 from the US government. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Read about our approach to external linking. The American disappeared without trace for three days until his twin stumbled across a news report announcing that his brother had been charged with espionage. It does not have any facilities in Russia. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. More details on Whelans professional life, Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures, Cryptopunk NFT Price (Aug 2021) How To Buy? His arrest and 14-year prison sentence caused a scandal back home when it emerged that civilians with no diplomatic cover were being used for high-risk espionage. Russia argues that Butina is a political prisoner. the man replied to my enquiries, adding that his own interest was in the ex-Marine's time in Iraq. A decade later, he would message home regularly from trips to Russia displaying similar almost child-like wonder at new discoveries. In early 2019, the drama of his now multi-national arrest was developing against a hostile political backdrop, with mutual sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and East-West tension not felt since Soviet times. Whelan "That early warning meant that our family has ben able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us," the statement added. What are your opinions for this swap? Marine Vet Arrested In Russia Tried To Steal $10,000 From US On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. '," a former colleague, Skotti Fietsam, told the BBC. "Whelan, do you understand the sentence?" "[14] A few weeks later, Zherebenkov said Whelan had been unaware of the contents of the USB drive and believed it contained material solely of personal value such as "photographs, videos, anything at all, about his previous holiday in Russia. 26 Aug. 2008, https://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2008/WHELAN,%20P.N.%20200800152%20PCE.pdf. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. (Reuters) - Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony on espionage charges, did not figure in a prisoner exchange on In one email exchange during his early 2018 trip to Moscow, a relative joked: "Don't get into any trouble we can't get you out of, haha!". The first time I saw Whelan in court, well over a year ago, he arrived with a weak smile and a brown cardboard box hugged to his chest containing a packed prison lunch. Paul Whelan: What we know about the American detained in Dustoff262 Charter Member / Moderator "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". ago. There were signs of problems even earlier. "They don't want me to speak with you.". It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. Who is Paul Whelan, the ex-US Marine jailed in Russia? Paul Whelan's early life and the possibility of congressional intervention, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "I don't know anything what [sic] might be interesting to foreign spy. "If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance," he added. If he's a spy, then I'm Michael Jackson!!!!" "[21] As of January 4, British and Irish consular officials were seeking access to Whelan. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The website content does support later descriptions of Paul Whelan by contacts, colleagues and family as an enthusiastic world traveller who "made friends pretty much everywhere" and had an interest in Russian culture. Ukraine live briefing: Kyiv targeted by missiles; explosions in Russia derail train, damage power line, Philippine presidents White House visit reflects sharp upturn in ties, Eyeing China, Biden official floats a new Washington consensus, American Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in 2019, was exchanged. His lawyers do plan to appeal against the verdict but other, bigger forces are already at play. Who is Paul Whelan? The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. After the Salisbury poisoning in early 2018, more than 100 Russian diplomats identified as intelligence agents were expelled from embassies around the world in a co-ordinated act of protest. This is slimy, greasy corrupt Russian politics, nothing more, nothing less. [42] On July 27, 2022, it was announced that President Joe Biden had offered a trade for Whelan and WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was arrested in Russia in February on drug charges, in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed "The Merchant of Death". Russia would later insinuate, via anonymous sources quoted in the press, that the CIA had selected candidates for Paul Whelan to cultivate for intelligence. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. His service ended after he was convicted at a At the same time, Washington was still accusing Moscow of meddling in its elections. Speaking in the White House Oval Office as he announced Ms Griner's release, Mr Biden said that "sadly and for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's". [7] The Chelsea Police, however, said he worked in lesser roles and as a part-time officer from 1990 to 1996, while the Washtenaw County sheriff reported no record of his employment. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. "His experience of having already been to the Kremlin and having already walked around Red Square and navigating the metro, his friend felt Paul could assist a bunch of Americans who hadn't otherwise ever been to Moscow," David Whelan said. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. So without much ado, read thePaul Whelan Dishonorable Dischargeblog to know the complete story. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. Read about our approach to external linking. Paul Whelan, 52, is a Marine turned corporate security executive who was convicted of espionage and is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian prison. Why is Paul Whelan imprisoned? There was also speculation over other possible motives for the arrest - including a suggestion Mr Whelan was detained so he could be exchanged with Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist, who was jailed in the US in December 2018. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. I dont understand why Im still sitting here.. Griner's release renewed attention on another American citizen detained in Russia: Paul Whelan. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen and former Marine detained in Russia on espionage charges, was reportedly convicted of attempting to steal roughly ten grand from Uncle Sam while deployed to Iraq in 2006, according to the Washington Post. U.S. officials say they are still working to secure the release of the former Marine, who was arrested in Moscow in 2018, but claim he was not part of the negotiations for Thursdays prisoner swap because his case is being treated differently by the Russians. Please comment. Whe He Dead? Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. When we go to a meeting, prisoners were hidden from each other," Berg describes the lonely routine of life inside the K-shape jail, whose tall outer walls now butt-up against Soviet apartment blocks. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. met with Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. Just two weeks after his arrest, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the American had been caught "red-handed" conducting a "concrete, illegal act". "The porridge, some days it goes direct to the toilet," Frode Berg wrote to me from northern Norway of life in the FSB prison. The US government has been tight-lipped regarding efforts to release Mr Whelan. While David Whelan said the family does not "begrudge Ms Griner her freedom", the family believes it is "clear that the US government needs to be more assertive". 2023 www.freep.com. [1], U.S. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. The Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. Whelan and his family say letters have been held back for months by investigators and parcels returned. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. At the time, there were uncorroborated reports he had been caught receiving a digital storage device containing a list of intelligence officials. "They want Yaroshenko and Bout, that's who they want back," Paul Whelan claimed, naming two high-profile Russian prisoners in America as the court bailiffs ushered me and my microphone out of the room. He rose to the rank of staff sergeant in December 2004 and was deployed in the war against Iraq for several months in 2004 and 2006. "I think Paul will be taking it very hard. A citizen of four countries the United States, Canada, Britain and Ireland, Whelan was a former sheriffs deputy and served several tours in Iraq as an active-duty reservist. Curious To Check Full Wiki! "Factbox: Paul Whelan, Ex-U.S. Marine Jailed in Russia on Spying Charges." Russian authorities claim the 48-year-old American, who is being held in Lefortovo Prison, was working as a spy. Also Read Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open.

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