![]() ![]() 18 in the Mordovia region shortly after his conviction. He was originally held in Correctional Colony No. In 2020, Whelan was convicted of espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison. Samantha Vinograd, a national security analyst who served on former President Obama's National Security Council, told CNN, "Putin certainly likes to take what he calls reciprocal measures, and in this case, ostensibly he would want to have some kind of bargaining chip if he chooses to try to negotiate for Maria Butina's release." Some people have speculated that Whelan's arrest might have been in retaliation for Butina's conviction. relations with Russia before and after the 2016 presidential election. federal court to charges of influencing U.S. Whelan's arrest came weeks after accused Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in U.S. government representative was supposed to have been able to see him within 72 hours of his arrest, but the meeting was delayed. ambassador to Russia at the time, was able to visit Whelan in detention nearly a week after his initial arrest. The FSB did not confirm that Whelan was in their custody until days after his arrest. Whelen said he thought the drive held an acquaintance's vacation photos. He was arrested after allegedly receiving a USB drive containing "state secrets" while in Moscow. The morning of the wedding, Whelan gave the couple a tour of the Kremlin, but they stopped hearing from him before the ceremony. Whelan's brother David said Whelan was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow Marine. The FSB claimed he was carrying out "an espionage operation," which resulted in his arrest. Whelan was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, at a Moscow hotel on Dec. In an op-ed for the Post, Paul's twin brother David Whelan described him as a "kind and considerate brother, son, and uncle, and a generous and loyal friend." Whelan's family has maintained his innocence since the beginning of his ordeal. Several of Whelan's Russian acquaintances described him as a friendly man with a great appreciation for Russia and a basic command of their language, per the Post. Whelan's family says he first visited Russia while stationed in Iraq and returned to visit the country often over the past few years. government while deployed to Iraq in 2006, according to records obtained by The Washington Post. The Marine Corps found him guilty of multiple charges, including attempting to steal $10,000 from the U.S. ![]() He worked as an administrative clerk and chief before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct. While serving in the Marines, he did two deployments to Iraq and rose to the rank of staff sergeant. Whelan served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1994 to 2008. At the time of his arrest, Whelan was working as the director of global security for BorgWarner, an auto parts supplier based in Michigan. He worked in law enforcement before and after his military service. Marine, also has citizenship in Ireland, Britain, and Canada. citizen who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges for the past four years. Is Whelan's conviction for alleged espionage making negotiations more difficult? Here's everything you need to know: Who is Paul Whelan? officials say that despite their best efforts, they haven't been able to secure his release. A U.S.-Russia prisoner swap of WNBA player Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has put a renewed spotlight on Paul Whelan, another American detained by the Kremlin. ![]()
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