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. "Family of American Prisoner Paul Whelan Backs Griner Deal." "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". "They don't want me to speak with you.". ", List of American people imprisoned in Russia, "U.S. citizen arrested in Russia on spying charges", "As American Sits In Moscow Jail, Russia Says U.S. Has Detained One Of Its Citizens", "Paul Whelan: the strange case of the ex-marine jailed for spying in Russia", "Paul Whelan's twin opens up about Russia spy allegations, citizenship", "U.S. ambassador meets with Ottawa-born man arrested in Russia on spying charges", "American Paul Whelan was in Russia for wedding, not to spy, family says", "American charged with espionage in Russia has an unlikely background for a spy", "Meet Putin's American Prisoner, Paul Whelan", "Accused spy Paul Whelan was discharged from Marines for bad conduct", "New details emerge about Novi resident accused of spying in Russia", "Spy or Not? In a 9 November statement - which largely focused on Ms Griner - the White House said that the US government is willing to follow up on its exchange offer for Ms Griner with "alternative potential ways forward" to secure the release of Americans detained in Russian, including Mr Whelan. The pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. The Russian described the two spending several days "touring Moscow" together, eating sushi and caviar-filled pancakes. The US has said repeatedly the two men were convicted in open and fair trials. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. [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. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open. BrwnLadyBee on Twitter: "@dsgordon @nowthisnews While not as severe as a dishonorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge is a significant punishment in the U.S. military justice system. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. He said a trial would not begin for at least six months, and that he would welcome an exchange of Whelan for Butina. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. Moscow's Covid-19 lockdown had cloaked proceedings in an even thicker layer of secrecy, with both press and public barred from the building right up until the final verdict. Who is Paul Whelan? Why is Paul Whelan imprisoned? He left the company in 2016 and started working for BorgWarner, an Auburn Hills-based auto supplier, in 2017, according to company spokeswoman Kathy Graham. Nine months earlier, the UK had accused Russia of poisoning Sergei Skripal, a former double-agent, on the streets of Salisbury. Cowboys Micah Parsons apologizes for calling it crazy that He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994,and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. On 28 December, however, he was arrested by Russia's FSB state security agency, which claimed he had been "caught spying" in Moscow. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. 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 was friends with young servicemen in the US, though, too. Russia has angrily denied involvement in the poisonings. The American, whose glasses, side parting and blue sweater that he wore to each court appearance gave him the look of a neat, middle-aged librarian, looked back at the judge blankly. 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!". When Whelan was arrested, the FSB found a USB drive in his pocket containing the classified information it alleges he had requested. Paul Whelan, the global security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. "I'm trying to focus on immediate goals, so I don't get distracted by how awful it is that he could spend 16 years behind bars," David Whelan told me, imagining how his twin would have felt, convicted of spying and heading back to his prison cell. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. "Nothing's translated, Your Honour," the 50-year-old protested, sending an interpreter scurrying over to explain his fate. "We are not looking for an exchange, we are looking for justice for Paul," US Ambassador John Sullivan insisted, emerging from the verdict at Moscow City Court to a wall of microphones and cameras. He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin. The independent Latvian-based publication Meduza reported that the wedding attendees all banded close together for the duration of the holiday, and were taken aback by Whelan's decision to spend the day alone. Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. 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 Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. One friend who didn't want to be named told me he was "a little quirky", and liked to "push the line a bit". [13], Whelan traveled to Russia several times from 2006 and maintained an intermittent presence on a Russian language social media website, Vkontakte (VK), where he had approximately 70 contacts. On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. Twin brother of Novi man accused of spying in Russia: He's innocent, US wants access to Michigan man held in Moscow on spy charges, Novi businessman, 48, accused of 'spy mission' in Russia, 'Does not fit any spy': What made accused Russian spy Maria Butina different. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. 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. And while Paul Whelan's dishonourable discharge from the Marines shows there are parts of his life of which even his family have no idea, his supporters point to the theft charge as a positive. WebPaul Whelan may refer to: . 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. How Crypto is Removed From Circulation. In messages home from Moscow in January 2018 - a free holiday to use up his air miles - the American described visiting restaurants with his agent-friend, as well as the museums of the Kremlin and even a British pub. It was while serving in the marines that he made his first trip to Russia, a visit he detailed on his website, which was shut down several years ago. Paul Whelan - Wikipedia Russia responded with a mirror mass expulsion of Western diplomats. [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise. Whelan's case is a curious one as four different countries Canada, the U.S., Britain, and Ireland all claim him as a citizen, and each is seeking consular access. Last year, he was sent to solitary confinement for a month. "I can talk louder than you, Your Honour," he shouted from the cage. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. Since his arrest, the Marine Corps has disclosed that he was discharged in 2008 for bad conduct, a revelation that "absolutely stunned" his twin brother David. 2023 BBC. It was an Automobile component distributor company. He left the company in 2016 and started working for BorgWarner, an Auburn Hills-based auto supplier, in 2017, according to company spokeswoman Kathy Graham. 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. Almost exactly a year before Paul Whelan's arrest, a Norwegian staying at the same central Moscow hotel was arrested and charged with espionage. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. 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. 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. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Britains foreign secretary says that Russia is trying to use him as a pawn in its geopolitical games. Almost 18 months later, Whelan has been convicted of spying - receiving Russian state secrets - after a short trial conducted entirely behind closed doors. "That person was an FSB officer. Whelan, a 48-year-old former Marine and security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow, accused of spying. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. [45], Whelan's brother David Whelan approved of the decision to "make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn't going to happen. he asked. '''Dmitry' says hello! His service ended after he was convicted at a On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called on Washington to show "humanity" and release Yaroshenko "and other unjustly convicted" Russians. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. "Factbox: Paul Whelan, Ex-U.S. Marine Jailed in Russia on Spying Charges." A retired border guard, Frode Berg admitted to delivering envelopes of cash and spy instructions on behalf of Norwegian military intelligence agency. Whelan was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny, according to the records," the newspaper wrote. It was noticeable, one such report said, that he chose only to befriend men and not "pretty Russian girls". In 2016 he left the company and became the director for global security in a US-based company. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. 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. The day the verdict was announced, Whelan said he thought it was a foregone conclusion, and shouted from within a glass-enclosed area in the courtroom that Russia feels impotent in the world, so theyre taking political hostages.. [36][e], On June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Quite dilapidated. The former Marine said he was living in quite crowded spaces and estimated that his building housed 50 to 60 people. Irish officials say a man being detained by Russia, Paul Whelan, has requested help from the Irish government and report they will do what they can to come to his aid. : 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. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. Marine Corps). At the time, he was identified only as an American but officials say Whelan also has British citizenship. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. "Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission," Whelan announced one day, as we waited for the judge. Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler, JC Reindl, and USA Today'sDeirdre Shesgreen and Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this report. And he didn't hide his interests and encounters. State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". [9][10] The specific charges against him included "attempted larceny, three specifications of dereliction of duty, making a false official statement, wrongfully using another's social security number, and ten specifications of making and uttering[a] checks without having sufficient funds in his account for payment. 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. The article shares only particular details about Paul Whelan and his conduct. Whelan said the drive had been given to him by a friend, as part of a sting operation, and he was under the impression it contained wedding photographs. Currently a corporate security expert, Whelan made several trips to Russia, had Russian friends, was reportedly learning Russian, and has been using Russian social media for years, CNN and the Post reported. "No way? "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. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. passport. 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. Specifically, he received a "Bad Conduct Discharge" handed down by a special court martial. Odds are he did something wrong. ((This Dec. 8 story has been corrected to fix paragraph 8 to make clear Whelan was given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marine Corps, not a dishonourable discharge).) "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. governments reaction to Paul Whelans arrest. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. | Paul Whelan (security director) - Wikipedia "I will be with guys from the FSB, so should be okay! As he still works for the FSB, I can't identify him so I'll call him "Dmitry". They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. [25], Whelan was being held in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison. "There's absolutely no reason he should have been in my room and no reason he should have given me any sort of device.". The appropriate social media access links are given below. ", Zherebenko has worked on the high-profile international case of a Russian accused of. Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that its embassy in Moscow is requesting consular access to Whelan. You're a spy, you'll be convicted,'" Olga Karlova told me last summer. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. __ 11:25 p.m. Officials say the American ex-Marine [8] His work with Kelly Services and BorgWarner gave Whelan contacts with the U.S. intelligence community, federal agents and foreign embassies. 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. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. Its very grim. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. He's someone I've known for ten years," he revealed for the first time. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. If Whelan is found guilty of espionage, he could face 10 to 20 years in prison. Whelan also worked as a Chelsea police officer from 1988-2000 as well as for the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Department, he testified in a 2013 court deposition. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge: What Charges Made To Paul Whelan Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in Russia on espionage charges, was visiting Moscow over the holidays to attend a wedding when he suddenly disappeared, his brother said Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. "If I do that, I'll be in a bad way," Whelan told me, warily. He'd prepare a speech for each session, writing it out on a sheet of paper vetted and stamped by the prison censors. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. On Dec. 8, 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released to American custody after spending nearly 10 months as a prisoner in the Russian penal system on marijuana-related charges. 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. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit There's a Marines' flag flying right below the American flag on my parents' property the whole time," David told the BBC from Canada. (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 What Is the Regulation of Cryptocurrency in Estonia. 2023 BBC. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. At the time, there were uncorroborated reports he had been caught receiving a digital storage device containing a list of intelligence officials. "[31] On January 4, 2019, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We don't agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games We are all extremely worried about him and his family. (Cpl. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. [1], U.S. In December 2018, while on a trip to attend a friend's wedding in Russia, Whelan was detained by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents. Then-Staff Sgt. At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. Biden called those espionage allegations totally illegitimate charges., Biden said his administration has not forgotten about Paul Whelan, and promised to keep negotiating in good faith for his release., Meanwhile, Whelan said Thursday that he is greatly disappointed that the government has not done more to secure his release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. 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, arrested Dec. 28, 2018, in a Moscow hotel, has said he thought the flash drive that he received from an acquaintance contained holiday photos. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994, and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief.
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