The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. [3][14] Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit 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. ", Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. Whelan joked back then on his website, which has since been archived. His own cellmate in Lefortovo used to joke that the inmates were fed dog food in the mornings. 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!". He says his brother's VK messages were deleted after his arrest. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Whelan was caught red-handed, during a spy mission. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. If Whelan is found guilty of espionage, he could face 10 to 20 years in prison. Almost two months had passed since his arrest, and he said he was coping "fine". The image was of the headquarters of Russia's notorious security services, now known as the FSB. 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. Though he has been described as being held in "solitary confinement", "But even with food, we were told that we might want to give him extra money. It does not have any facilities in Russia. Paul Whelan Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. CNN reports he was accused of using someone else's social security number, and "writing bad cheques". [21], According to the Russian news agency Rosbalt[ru], Whelan was apprehended in his hotel room at the Metropol Hotel while concluding a long outing with a Russian citizen, who handed him a USB drive containing "a list of all the employees at a classified security agency". Marine Corps). COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS WASHINGTON, D.C. - Navy So the prisoner who has always called himself a political hostage is now looking to the politicians to do a deal for his release. Paul Whelan Paul Whelan's travels in Russia began more than a decade ago. "I remember making small talk once and I said, 'You travel a lot for work, where do you travel for fun? Image Via KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. Alexei Tarasov, Viktor Bout's attorney, told Russian television that Mr Whelan wasn't included in the swap because the exchange was on a "one for one" basis. Is climate change killing Australian wine? At the time, he was identified only as an American. Nicknamed the merchant of death, Bout is a notorious arms dealer and has been in U.S. custody since his arrest in Thailand in 2008. The appropriate social media access links are given below. 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. 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. "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. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994,and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. He'll need to buy things like razors, toilet paper, soap, things that would be on-hand anywhere else. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. A retired border guard, Frode Berg admitted to delivering envelopes of cash and spy instructions on behalf of Norwegian military intelligence agency. The appropriate social media access links are given below. Paul Whelan (security director) - Wikipedia Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. 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. Last year, he was sent to solitary confinement for a month. It was an Automobile component distributor company. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. Paul Whelan Paul Whelan He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. Did he commit any severe crime? 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. Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. The Whelan family eventually found a name and even a photograph. 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. Norway wasn't holding any convicted spies to trade and neither is America. ago. His service ended after he was convicted at a New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". The Interfax news agency says he has denied the allegation. 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. passport. 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. Cowboys Micah Parsons apologizes for calling it crazy that In a statement following Ms Griner's release, David Whelan said that the Biden administration warned the family ahead of time that Paul would not be released as part of the exchange. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. 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. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. He had no idea his friend had been arrested. The Russian described the two spending several days "touring Moscow" together, eating sushi and caviar-filled pancakes. American detained by Russia tried to steal thousands of dollars Paul Whelan At the time, he was identified only as an American. 2023 BBC. He described his fellow inmates as quite welcoming.. One light remains on in the cell 24/7. Spy trials in Russia are not only heard in secret, the defence lawyers have to sign non-disclosure agreements covering the entire case. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. Paul Whelan is being held in the renovated wing, where the Norwegian says there is hot water in the cells now as well as a fridge, TV and toilet. "We never see or meet other prisoners. The three judges swept off the podium and out of court. "Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission," Whelan announced one day, as we waited for the judge. [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. "[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. He now told me his friend had planted the device in his pocket, without him realising. Time for Russia to release Paul Whelan - Washington Times 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. Russia responded with a mirror mass expulsion of Western diplomats. 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 Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise.
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