His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. Norway wasn't holding any convicted spies to trade and neither is America. [27], Former CIA officers have stated that the CIA would not recruit an officer with Whelan's military record, nor leave an officer exposed without a diplomatic passport. On Whelan's old website, alongside Harry Potter books and War and Peace, his recommended reading includes a long list of Cold War thrillers by Tom Clancy. He'll need to buy things like razors, toilet paper, soap, things that would be on-hand anywhere else. Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. In Frode Berg's case, the Norwegian government stayed quiet. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. Paul Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. This is the second time Whelan has been overlooked in a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. [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". He'd prepare a speech for each session, writing it out on a sheet of paper vetted and stamped by the prison censors. [7] He took military leave from Kelly Services to serve with the Marine Corps Reserve from 2003 to 2008, including service in Iraq. One light remains on in the cell 24/7. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. The US government has been tight-lipped regarding efforts to release Mr Whelan. More: Paul Whelan's early life and the possibility of congressional intervention. This article will convey all the necessary information on Paul Whelan. Skotti Fietsam, his former colleague, found Whelan serious and supportive, but also laughed at how he would insist on using heavily armed guards when he visited the factory she managed in Mexico, even posting them outside restaurants while they ate. 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. He said a trial would not begin for at least six months, and that he would welcome an exchange of Whelan for Butina. Hunt says Friday that we are giving him every support that we can, but we dont agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games., Hunt adds that we are extremely worried about him and his family.. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. "They don't want me to speak with you.". In December 2018, while on a trip to attend a friend's wedding in Russia, Whelan was detained by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents. "Really, an exchange should be equal," he said. 2023 BBC. At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. But Whelan never made it to the ceremony. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. 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. 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. The Pentagon, Kristen Jordan Shamus - Detroit Free Press. So he just thought it's an opportunity to have that, so why not? So no evidence - the wire taps or surveillance footage the case is reportedly based on - has been made public. 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. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. __ 11:25 p.m. Officials say the American ex-Marine "[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. Ivan Pavlov believes Whelan's claim he was framed is "always possible" with FSB intelligence officers. 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. 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". The American refused and as his time in custody was extended repeatedly, he gradually grew bolder in court. 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. "[12], When arrested in Russia, Whelan was director of global security and investigations for BorgWarner, an international automotive parts manufacturer based in Michigan. Whelan served 14 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve until he was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. 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. Why is Paul Whelan imprisoned? To know the authentic details on Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge news, read through this blog until very close. [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. How Crypto is Removed From Circulation. for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. 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. under the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. All the signs so far suggest Moscow is opening with a high bid - Viktor Bout, a weapons dealer serving 25 years in America and Konstantin Yaroshenko, sentenced to 20 years for drugs smuggling. 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. 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). [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 pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. As his family step-up their appeals to bring him home, officials in Moscow are already hinting at a possible prisoner swap adding to suspicions that the man from Michigan is a pawn in a political game that has yet to play out. Britains Press Association said Whelans U.K. citizenship was reported by the U.S. embassy to British officials on Thursday. They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. Last year, he was sent to solitary confinement for a month. Whelan's last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. [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. passport. Did he commit any severe crime? Britains foreign secretary says that Russia is trying to use him as a pawn in its geopolitical games. At that, the judge ordered the TV cameras to be removed from court. [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. In Whelan's case, there's the added nuance that his defence team were appointed and paid for by the Russian state. Was Paul Whelan given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marines? It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. 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". Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler, JC Reindl, and USA Today'sDeirdre Shesgreen and Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this report. Whelan has been detained in Russia for nearly four years and in August 2020, he was sent to prison camp IK-17 in the Mordovia region of Russia, some 210 miles east of Moscow. 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. 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. Q1. Since his arrest, the media has pored over Whelan's past, discovering a bad conduct discharge from the Marines, a Russian social media page, and multiple trips to [14][b] As of March 2019, he shared a cell with another prisoner who spoke no English. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. Cellmates get to shower once a week, together, in the basement. He says his brother's VK messages were deleted after his arrest. https://jag.navylive.dodlive.mil/Portals/58/Mil_Jus_Quick_Guide.pdf. "He seemed nice and was fascinated by our country, its history and our traditions and people!" The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. [44] After negotiations, only Griner was exchanged for Bout on December 8, 2022, as the Kremlin had refused to release Whelan and posed an ultimatum to the Biden administration of freeing Griner or no one. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a Russia argues that Butina is a political prisoner. Florida resident Vladimir Nevidomy pleaded guilty in June 2018 to conspiracy with Makarenko and was sentenced to 26 months in prison. She was imprisoned in the US in December 2018 and deported back to Russia in October 2019. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. U.S. military record convicting Paul Whelan of stealing $10,400 while at Al Asad air base, Iraq in 2006. pic.twitter.com/C9MVeHb5RK. [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise. A national security official said Thursday that Whelan was never really an option for the Russians during the negotiations about freeing Griner, and that due to the nature of the espionage charges against him, Russians rejected all the proposals U.S. officials presented them. Marine Corps). Britains foreign secretary says Russia is trying to use a man detained as an alleged spy as a pawn in its geopolitical games. Paul Whelan was a former marine who was given a bad conduct discharge many years prior to his arrest in Russia in 2018. Another link leads to a homemade guide to the Cyrillic alphabet and some basic first words in Russian. His own cellmate in Lefortovo used to joke that the inmates were fed dog food in the mornings. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. You're a spy, you'll be convicted,'" Olga Karlova told me last summer. "It just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. ", Whelan breezily told his parents after one Facetime chat with the Russian. https://home.army.mil/bliss/index.php/about/news/administrative-discharge-status-can-affect-benefits. Since his first visit in 2006, Mr Whelan made a number of other trips to Russia and developed an in-depth knowledge of the country. His website describes his "respect and admiration" for three Naval Academy graduates who'd just joined the Marines. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes, he said while applauding Griners release. 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. A scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him. Moscow Paul Whelan, Before that he spent 14 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct, according to the military. 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. Meanwhile, the front page of his website invited visitors to click on the image of a young Russian soldier to learn more about his "hobbies and military service". "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. Read about our approach to external linking. "Moscow City Courtfinds Paul Nicholas Whelan guilty," he read from the typed sheet, adding that the 16-year sentence would be served in a high-security facility for the most dangerous offenders. 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. Please comment. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. He is also a serving intelligence officer. Because Whelan received a bad conduct discharge, the claim that Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines is "True.". A city watching out for Russian and Chinese spies, Putin, power and poison: Russias elite FSB spy club, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan'. So we were eligible for British and Canadian citizenship because we were born in Canada to British parents. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. It's possible he even introduced his parents to "Dmitry" on their 2009 trip to Russia, they can't be sure. On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. Why wasn't Whelan included in the prisoner swap? ((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).) According to court documents, he was in charge of the company's campus security group, and his duties included managing and conducting investigations, as well as handling some purchasing. Why was Whelan rejected for the Prisoners swap? "I don't believe that Paul is a spy," the man wrote to me. "The intelligence community would never use someone with that past, especially in a situation like this when you'd be sent into a very, very difficult environment," argues Ryan Fayhee, the family's lawyer in the US who cites intelligence contacts from his days prosecuting cases of counter-espionage. In an interview with ABC News in November 2020, Whelan described the place as very, very old. Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. And, to make matters worse, he wrongfully used another person's Social Security number to engage in unlawful activity. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. met with Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. Russia would later insinuate, via anonymous sources quoted in the press, that the CIA had selected candidates for Paul Whelan to cultivate for intelligence. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for hisBad Conduct. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. [8] His work with Kelly Services and BorgWarner gave Whelan contacts with the U.S. intelligence community, federal agents and foreign embassies. Family handout/AFP. Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? 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. "Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission," Whelan announced one day, as we waited for the judge. 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. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". After news of Griners release Thursday, U.S. officials lamented not being able to secure Whelans release, but said they were continuing the efforts. And he didn't hide his interests and encounters. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred, he said in a phone interview with CNN from the remote Russian penal colony where he is being detained. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. David Whelan issued a family statement on Friday on behalf of his brother, Paul Whelan, saying that the family was very pleased to know that staff of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have been given consular access to Paul and confirmed that he is safe., He says the familys focus remains on ensuring that Paul is safe, well treated, has a good lawyer, and is coming home.. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. WATCH NEXT: President Trump Attempts To Explain USSR-Afghanistan History. "It will be very difficult to mount a defence.". [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. [3][14] 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. Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. "Secrecy, provocation and falsification, that's the arsenal of our opponents," says Ivan Pavlov, a human rights lawyer who has gone up against the FSB in many espionage cases. 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. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. [23], According to Whelan, his long-time friend had appeared unexpectedly in the hotel, followed by authorities, who later arrested him. His service ended after he was convicted at a He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. 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. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. The photograph dates from Whelan's first trip to Moscow, made while he was serving with the US military in Iraq. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. Reuters. It was due to his knowledge of Russia that he had been asked to attend the wedding of a fellow former marine in Moscow in December 2018, his brother David told the BBC's Newshour after his arrest. The details of the charges against Whelan from a special court-martial two years later, which resulted in his discharge for bad conduct, add to an increasingly Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. "[46], Whelan is a citizen of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. The two met in person for a few hours in 2008 when Whelan was touring Russia, visiting multiple friends in various cities. Whelan was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny, according to the records," the newspaper wrote. Its very grim. Whelan had plumped to visit Russia, explaining that, for a "single man like me" the scheme was "an opportunity to travel throughout the worldand experience the diversity of culture". [20] David said his brother entered Russia using his U.S. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Whelan on January 2, 2019, while Whelan was in Russian custody. 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. "Factbox: Paul Whelan, Ex-U.S. Marine Jailed in Russia on Spying Charges." A year later, just days before his arrest, Mr Whelan took "Dmitry" and another man for Christmas dinner at a restaurant opposite his hotel. During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. "[21] As of January 4, British and Irish consular officials were seeking access to Whelan. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow.
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