The former US Marine - who also has British, Irish and Canadian citizenship - has always insisted on his innocence, and in court this week he described himself the victim of "greasy, slimy Russian politics". Whelan, 48, was arrested Fridayin Moscow, and was charged withespionage. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. U.S. military record convicting Paul Whelan of stealing $10,400 while at Al Asad air base, Iraq in 2006. pic.twitter.com/C9MVeHb5RK. The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called on Washington to show "humanity" and release Yaroshenko "and other unjustly convicted" Russians. 2023 BBC. "I will be with guys from the FSB, so should be okay! The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. A scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him. Did he commit any severe crime? He said in a deposition in 2013 that he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA degree. The two met in person for a few hours in 2008 when Whelan was touring Russia, visiting multiple friends in various cities. Odds are he did something wrong. The three judges swept off the podium and out of court. New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. The Puzzling Story of Accused Russian Spy Paul Whelan [37] [38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would Why was Paul Whelan discharged from military service? Paul Whelan Paul Whelan was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of larceny. He apparently had four passports, which he is said to have collected for fun. 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". The US government has been tight-lipped regarding efforts to release Mr Whelan. COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS WASHINGTON, D.C. - Navy Whelan served 14 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve until he was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. Specifically, he received a "Bad Conduct Discharge" handed down by a special court martial. Also Read Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. https://jag.navylive.dodlive.mil/Portals/58/Mil_Jus_Quick_Guide.pdf. 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. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. The Interfax news agency says he has denied the allegation. But the espionage case was based entirely on Whelan's ties to one officer, with all the evidence gathered in 2018 shortly before his arrest. Paul Whelans Brother: Family Knew Little About His Interest in Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. Paul Whelan Why was Griner detained? It said that information was the object of "intense interest" to the Americans, and that Whelan had been cultivating potential contacts, online, for over a decade. 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, By 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Both Ireland and the U.K. have asked that their diplomats be allowed to visit him. 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. It was a choice of bringing home one American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters. An entire section of his old website is dedicated to the cute cartoon character Cheburashka, describing the big-eared, wide-eyed creature as "one good thing to come from the Soviet era". "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. The Russian Rosbalt news agency quoted a source claiming that Whelan was working directly for US intelligence, tasked with obtaining a list of personnel at "one of Russia's secret institutions". Paul Whelan arrives handcuffed and holds a personal statement up in court, Paul Whelan was a US police officer when he was younger, Paul Whelan as a US marine and the front gate at his parents' property, The town of Sergiev Posad is home to the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Trinity Lavra of St Sergius, Paul Whelan's lawyers Vladimir Zherebyonkov and Olga Karlova, Norwegian citizen Frode Berg in a Moscow courtroom, January 2019, US Ambassador John Sullivan outside court after Paul Whelan's sentencing, The high wall and barbed wire of Lefortovo jail, The K-shaped buildings of Moscow's Lefortovo prison, Undated photo of Konstantin Yaroshenko (left) and Viktor Bout in 2010. In December 2018, while on a trip to attend a friend's wedding in Russia, Whelan was detained by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents. Sentenced to a high-security prison, Paul Whelan won't be leaving Lefortovo just yet. : Griner had been imprisoned in Russia since February, when she was accused of entering the country with vape cartridges that contained less than a gram of cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country. Mr Whelan was "responsible for overseeing security" at facilities in Michigan and around the world, a company statement said. WebHe was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of charges related to larceny, according to military and court records. [43] The Russian side insisted on the additional release of Vadim Krasikov, an assassin serving a life sentence for murder in Germany. So, at a court hearing late last year, I raised my voice over a wall of bailiffs to ask him once again what had happened. Are you on Telegram? At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. The Whelan family eventually found a name and even a photograph. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. Evidence shows that he was caught with a flash drive that contained highly classified information. Russian officials say the American former Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British citizenship, and London has requested consular access to him. She was imprisoned in the US in December 2018 and deported back to Russia in October 2019. His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PAUL N. WHELAN. All rights reserved. They also said he owed Whelan around 80,000 roubles ($1,147; 930) which the FSB claimed was advance payment for intelligence. Norway wasn't holding any convicted spies to trade and neither is America. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Whelan on January 2, 2019, while Whelan was in Russian custody. In 2001, Whelan began work at Kelly Services, a Troy-based company that offers consulting, temporary workers and workforce solutions to businesses around the world. Rationalinsurgent is an online platform for the next-gen investors, buyers, and Crypto holders to explore and learn how digital assets and other cryptocurrencies Read More. In addition to larceny, specifically the attempted theft of $10,410.59 of US government money, he also reportedly bounced checks to the tune of $6,000. "But it was very unusual.". That year he told a Marines news site that he'd taken advantage of a programme that funded a two-week break abroad for those on long deployments. Military records show he joined the US Marine Reserves in 1994, about six years after he had reportedly begun work as a police officer in Michigan. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. There was a lot of speculation about this and there was hope [that] Paul and his family had hoped he would finally return home to his very elderly parents, his lawyer Olga Karlova told The Post. He thought it was cool to hang-out with FSB people and low level military personnel (probably anyone above a private rank would give him no attention). David Whelan, Pauls brother, said in a statement that U.S. officials told them on Wednesday that Paul wouldnt be part of the exchange that freed Griner and expressed pessimism about the chance of seeing his brother go free. He is currently facing. But the space measures 9.5 square metres between two prisoners and exercise is one hour a day on the roof. But the same is presumably true in reverse. "Had this been an independent court, they would have reached only one decision - not guilty," his lawyer, Vladimir Zherebyonkov said after the verdict. "I don't know anything what [sic] might be interesting to foreign spy. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. [41], Family members said Whelan had been told that he had been arrested to be exchanged for a Russian prisoner in the United States, mentioning Konstantin Yaroshenko (who was released in return for American Trevor Reed), Viktor Bout, or Roman Seleznev. The twin brother of the American man being held in Moscow on alleged spying charges is urging the U.S. government to help get his brother released. Coint, Prediction. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Her release was secured via a prisoner exchange in which U.S. authorities released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He is also a serving intelligence officer. A member of his defence team has since revealed that he was coming under intense pressure from the FSB to confess, interrogated several times without his lawyers present. His lawyers do plan to appeal against the verdict but other, bigger forces are already at play. His website describes his "respect and admiration" for three Naval Academy graduates who'd just joined the Marines. He previously identified himself as a former sheriff deputy, which Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. "Having grown up during the Cold War, it was a dream of mine to visit Russia and meet some of the sneaky Russians who had kept the western world at bay for so long!!" [14] They further claim that Whelan's arrest is connected to tensions between Russia and the United States, including the detention of confessed unregistered foreign agent Maria Butina. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. What are your opinions for this swap? Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. Officials say the American ex-Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship. He mostly represents Russians accused of selling secrets to the West and says the number of such cases has grown significantly since the political climate turned cold again in 2014. Yes. Family handout/AFP. How Crypto is Removed From Circulation. President Biden said Thursday that those efforts have failed so far because Russia has decided to treat Whelans case differently given the nature of the espionage charges levied against him. Whelan also worked as a Chelsea police officer from 1988-2000 as well as for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, hetestified in a2013 court deposition. "Family of American Prisoner Paul Whelan Backs Griner Deal." | His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that its embassy in Moscow is requesting consular access to Whelan. The Russian government declared Paul Whelan guilty long ago. Whelan's family says that he he recently flew to Moscow to attend the wedding. He was convicted at a special court-martial in January 2008 on several charges related to larceny and was given a bad-conduct discharge in December 2008 at the rank of private. Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? 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. "[4][f], Whelan was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and raised partly in the Ann Arbor area of Michigan where he and his twin brother David graduated from Huron High School in 1988. It was noticeable, one such report said, that he chose only to befriend men and not "pretty Russian girls". It's possible he even introduced his parents to "Dmitry" on their 2009 trip to Russia, they can't be sure. It is in this context that the nature of Whelan's discharge from the Marines received renewed attention. Paul Whelan It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. "That person was an FSB officer. A recent newspaper report claimed that the American had come to FSB attention over a decade ago when, as Kommersant's source says, he "actively" began contacting Russian servicemen. After news of Griners release Thursday, U.S. officials lamented not being able to secure Whelans release, but said they were continuing the efforts. It was an Automobile component distributor company. The photograph dates from Whelan's first trip to Moscow, made while he was serving with the US military in Iraq. The man Whelan accuses of framing him was one of his oldest friends in Russia. As he still works for the FSB, I can't identify him so I'll call him "Dmitry". Paul Whelan ", US envoy visits spy suspect held in Russia, Brother of detained American speaks. The word "uttering" is a legal term that refers to the crime of "unlawfully passing a forged document with intent to defraud". Some do have clear military connections - including photographs in uniform - though not all, and no-one who replied to my messages had seen any reason to doubt Whelan's motives. (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 6 Top-Notch Dental Courses Online for Beginners in 2023, What is a Token Burn? And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. "Factbox: Paul Whelan, Ex-U.S. Marine Jailed in Russia on Spying Charges." 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. So we were eligible for British and Canadian citizenship because we were born in Canada to British parents. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. Paul Whelan's lawyers have now confirmed that he was being watched for some time and his communications monitored. Sadly, for Mr. Whelan, it appears his own adventurism made Earlier this year, American Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in 2019, was exchanged for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. prison. But Whelan never made it to the ceremony. Kristen Jordan Shamus - Detroit Free Press. 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. Almost two months had passed since his arrest, and he said he was coping "fine". Just two weeks after his arrest, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the American had been caught "red-handed" conducting a "concrete, illegal act". [19], Per MBK News, an outlet run by Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Whelan had $80,000 in cash "temporarily confiscated" during a customs inspection at Domodedovo Airport. From Novi, Michigan, he was born in Canada to British parents and moved to the US as a child. He was caught for bad conduct during his marine service. Though U.S. President Joe Biden had been attempting to secure the release of both Griner and Whelan in one move, Russian authorities refused to include Whelan in any trade. ", Zherebenko has worked on the high-profile international case of a Russian accused of. He was convicted at a special court-martial in January 2008 on several charges related to larceny and was given a bad-conduct discharge in December 2008 at the rank of private. It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes, he said while applauding Griners release. He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. His family, it has emerged, were unaware of events. Whelan's arrest comes just two weeks after alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in the US to conspiracy charges. Officers typically bide their time, he explains, calling it "calf-rearing", before a target is culled. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. "[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.

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