Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Was Paul Whelan given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marines? His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. It is an extraordinarily long time. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. 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!". 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. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. "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. "Trust is the most important thing when you are out there, living on the edge.". Russia has not publicly presented any evidence to support the charges against Whelan. Whelan served 14 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve until he was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. 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. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. [7] A former colleague said he was a patrol officer from 1998 to 2000 in the Keego Harbor police department. Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. By then, we'd learned that the American had visited Russia multiple times. officer Whelan stated that he was in Russia to attend a friends wedding, and he knew that the flash drive contained some holiday photos he had received. He worked in the 2000s as an IT project manager for Kelly Services Company. One friend who didn't want to be named told me he was "a little quirky", and liked to "push the line a bit". Q1. Paul Whelan's travels in Russia began more than a decade ago. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. He was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of charges related to larceny, according to military and court records. 6 Top-Notch Dental Courses Online for Beginners in 2023, What is a Token Burn? Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. He is also a serving intelligence officer. Florida resident Vladimir Nevidomy pleaded guilty in June 2018 to conspiracy with Makarenko and was sentenced to 26 months in prison. Ivan Pavlov believes Whelan's claim he was framed is "always possible" with FSB intelligence officers. 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. During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. Her release was secured via a prisoner exchange in which U.S. authorities released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He's the kindest soul! he asked. Whelan said in court that the case was a sham to use him to influence the United States: "We have proven my innocence we have proven fabrication. 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. Relations between Moscow and London are at a low point in the wake of Britains allegations that Russian military intelligence agents were behind the nerve-agent poisoning of a Russian former double agent and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury in March. Sentenced to a high-security prison, Paul Whelan won't be leaving Lefortovo just yet. for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. He was caught for bad conduct during his marine service. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. Because Whelan received a bad conduct discharge, the claim that Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines is "True.". 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 just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. 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. 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. "This is 'Lubyanka' where the KGB has our spies locked in the basement!! He had no idea his friend had been arrested. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. Image Via KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. Paul N. Whelan, adjutant, Marine Air Control Group 38 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), pictured before the Kremlin in 2007. 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. [37] [38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would It said it made the request after receiving a request for assistance from an Irish citizen detained in Moscow. Dan McCafferty Nazareth: Know Cause of Death! Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. A Twitter post by Benny Johnson states that President Biden chose Brittney Grinner in the prisoner swap over Paul Whelan. Defence lawyers disclosed some details of the men's relationship early on in the case, including how the American had visited his friend's house in Sergiev Posad outside Moscow for "saunas and kebabs" the winter before his arrest. "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. 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 [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. Who is Paul Whelan? Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. At a news conference on Thursday, President Biden said that the US government will "never give up" on securing Mr Whelan's release. 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. He left the company in 2016, moving to become director of global security for US-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner. It does not have any facilities in Russia. He also told CNN he had a recurring cough and noted that getting medical care was difficult even prevented by guards in the colony. "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". Why was Whelan rejected for the Prisoners swap? 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. Whelan and his family say letters have been held back for months by investigators and parcels returned. Read about our approach to external linking. "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. Paul Whelan . Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. ", US envoy visits spy suspect held in Russia, Brother of detained American speaks. Prisoner trade deal: Her release was part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He previously identified himself as a former sheriff deputy, which Quite dilapidated. The former Marine said he was living in quite crowded spaces and estimated that his building housed 50 to 60 people. Its clear that the U.S. government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. At the time, he was identified only as an American. Whelan has been in Russian custody for nearly four years, convicted on charges of espionage and spying for the U.S. government and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit It was noticeable, one such report said, that he chose only to befriend men and not "pretty Russian girls". A scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him. They talked about foreign travel and never met. Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. Mr Whelan continued to work for Kelly Services, being promoted to senior manager of global security and investigations in 2010. Russia freed Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. The Latest: Marines provide details of Whelan court-martial For his crimes, he was ultimately discharged from the Marine Corps for bad conduct, a ruling he unsuccessfully attempted to appeal. The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. So when Whelan's plight became public, there was speculation that he could be the human collateral. Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. 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. Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler, JC Reindl, and USA Today'sDeirdre Shesgreen and Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this report. 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. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. He'd prepare a speech for each session, writing it out on a sheet of paper vetted and stamped by the prison censors. Whelan's last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. Whelans last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. That first day, though - in a cage, with a dozen cameras trained on him - he looked tense and spoke little. Odds are he did something wrong. Paul Whelan From 2010 to 2016 Whelan was Kelly Services' senior manager of global security and operations. The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. [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. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. he wrote. "I'm not allowed to give you details, but I can tell you I was set-up. "He has friends in other countries with a military background, I think it was a social thing," David Whelan argues. And he didn't hide his interests and encounters. Filming was barred at all future hearings to stop the press capturing any more protests. "Really, an exchange should be equal," he said. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. He got in touch with his parents Dec. 2., in what Whelans brother described as a proof of life call, according to the Associated Press. AP NEWS, 8 Dec. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-michigan-united-states-government-russia-bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f. ((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).) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PAUL N. WHELAN. ", the American wrote back. Whelan was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny, according to the records," the newspaper wrote. ", Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. "And a catastrophe for Paul". Paul Whelan Who is Paul Whelan? What we know about man held in Russia He served 14 years in the 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. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. The Russian investigators state that Paul Whelan is a spy working for military intelligence and holding the rank of Colonel or any higher post. But the same is presumably true in reverse. At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. "No way? Whelan's arrest comes just two weeks after alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in the US to conspiracy charges. [3][14] MILITARY JUSTICE QUICK GUIDE. It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. Labelling it "Dinner with Tovarishi", or comrades, he messaged the image to a third Russian friend - even as he was supposedly discussing how to transfer classified intelligence. under the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for hisBad Conduct. [19] David said the family had not known Paul had a bad conduct discharge. 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. Sharing pictures of the visit, he said he had a "quite enjoyable time" exploring the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. "If you've got mixed up in something like this, then you're in the most complicated story of your life," Ivan Pavlov says. '''Dmitry' says hello! [4][c] U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "We've made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges, come to understand what it is he's been accused of and if the detention is not appropriate, we will demand his immediate return. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a The Russian government declared Paul Whelan guilty long ago. A year later, just days before his arrest, Mr Whelan took "Dmitry" and another man for Christmas dinner at a restaurant opposite his hotel. Russian authorities alleged he possessed a computer flash drive containing classified information. [14][b] As of March 2019, he shared a cell with another prisoner who spoke no English. Some critics of Biden have faulted him for not bringing Whelan back, often citing Whelan's service in the Marines as part of that argument. 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. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. 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". Why did he face dishonorable discharge? Britains foreign secretary says Russia is trying to use a man detained as an alleged spy as a pawn in its geopolitical games. (Cpl. 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". In Whelan's case, there's the added nuance that his defence team were appointed and paid for by the Russian state. Whelan, 48, was arrested Fridayin Moscow, and was charged withespionage. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 18 under supervision of the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service. Checkout Complete Data! Cellmates get to shower once a week, together, in the basement. He said the evidence was only ever examined by "incompetent and interested parties". [7], He was an IT manager for the Kelly Services staffing company from 2001[8] to 2003, and then 2008 to 2010. Following the release of basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian captivity, US President Joe Biden faces fresh questions about another imprisoned American: former US marine Paul Whelan. "[21] As of January 4, British and Irish consular officials were seeking access to Whelan. Paul Whelan MOSCOW (AP) The Latest on the American man being held in Moscow on alleged spying charges (all times local): The Marine Corps is providing details on the court-martial of an American man who has been detained by Russia on spying charges. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. Britains Press Association said Whelans U.K. citizenship was reported by the U.S. embassy to British officials on Thursday. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. He said in a deposition in 2013 that he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA degree. This is slimy, greasy corrupt Russian politics, nothing more, nothing less. [15] He took courses at Northern Michigan University from fall 1988 to fall 1990 without earning a degree. ", he joked in 2007 on a personal website. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. He urged the U.S. Congress and the State Department to help get his brother freed. American detained by Russia tried to steal thousands of dollars The US has said repeatedly the two men were convicted in open and fair trials. Since entering Russian custody, Whelan has faced changing conditions. It was an Automobile component distributor company. WebAccording to court-martial records, Paul Whelan actually received a bad-conduct discharge from the US Marines in 2008 and his rank was reduced to that of corporal Paul Whelan Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? ago. 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. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. Paul Whelan At the same time, Washington was still accusing Moscow of meddling in its elections. He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. So the prisoner who has always called himself a political hostage is now looking to the politicians to do a deal for his release. "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. Concern for Whelan flared up again in November after he was not able to contact his family for more than a week and Russian authorities claimed he had been sent to a hospital. Paul Whelan still wondering why he was left behind in Russia, I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. 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. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman.

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