. James B. Hoke/U.S. Ivan Pavlov believes Whelan's claim he was framed is "always possible" with FSB intelligence officers. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. Is climate change killing Australian wine? 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. A Twitter post by Benny Johnson states that President Biden chose Brittney Grinner in the prisoner swap over Paul Whelan. 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. To be correct, the Marines did not give Paul Whelan a Dishonorable Discharge. 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.. '," a former colleague, Skotti Fietsam, told the BBC. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. [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. for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. | Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. The man Whelan accuses of framing him was one of his oldest friends in Russia. Earlier this year, American Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in 2019, was exchanged for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. prison. under the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. His job at BorgWarner involves overseeingsecurity for "facilities, assets and people" in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. Paul Whelan arrives handcuffed and holds a personal statement up in court, Paul Whelan was a US police officer when he was younger, Paul Whelan as a US marine and the front gate at his parents' property, The town of Sergiev Posad is home to the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Trinity Lavra of St Sergius, Paul Whelan's lawyers Vladimir Zherebyonkov and Olga Karlova, Norwegian citizen Frode Berg in a Moscow courtroom, January 2019, US Ambassador John Sullivan outside court after Paul Whelan's sentencing, The high wall and barbed wire of Lefortovo jail, The K-shaped buildings of Moscow's Lefortovo prison, Undated photo of Konstantin Yaroshenko (left) and Viktor Bout in 2010. Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. Paul Whelan received a 'bad conduct discharge' from the Marines in 2008. "He said Russia! [7] A former colleague said he was a patrol officer from 1998 to 2000 in the Keego Harbor police department. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. 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. At the time, he was identified only as an American but officials say Whelan also has British citizenship. Paul Whelan: The strange case of the ex-marine jailed for spying 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. [8] His work with Kelly Services and BorgWarner gave Whelan contacts with the U.S. intelligence community, federal agents and foreign embassies. 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. "But it was very unusual.". "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. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. 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. BrwnLadyBee on Twitter: "@dsgordon @nowthisnews [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". 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. 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 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. 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. 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". State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". Born in Canada to British parents of Irish heritage, he later moved to the US entitling him to multiple passports as a result. Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. Whe He Dead? [3][14] Odds are he did something wrong. 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. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. Why did he face dishonorable discharge? WebPaul Whelan may refer to: . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. From 2010 to 2016 Whelan was Kelly Services' senior manager of global security and operations. His lawyers do plan to appeal against the verdict but other, bigger forces are already at play. MILITARY JUSTICE QUICK GUIDE. Ukraine live briefing: Kyiv targeted by missiles; explosions in Russia derail train, damage power line, Philippine presidents White House visit reflects sharp upturn in ties, Eyeing China, Biden official floats a new Washington consensus, American Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in 2019, was exchanged. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. He wondered whether some comment, or joke might have been disastrously misconstrued. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. I dont understand why Im still sitting here.. A citizen of four countries the United States, Canada, Britain and Ireland, Whelan was a former sheriffs deputy and served several tours in Iraq as an active-duty reservist. 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. Griner's release renewed attention on another American citizen detained in Russia: Paul Whelan. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted [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. Marine Vet Arrested In Russia Tried To Steal $10,000 From US True. "In reality, they abducted Mr Bean on holiday.". David Whelan, meanwhile, has dismissed the allegations as nonsense. mannymoelarry 2 mo. When Whelan was arrested, the FSB found a USB drive in his pocket containing the classified information it alleges he had requested. 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". This is the second time Whelan has been overlooked in a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. Did he commit any severe crime? Please comment. 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. "And a catastrophe for Paul". But when I asked for his side of the story, his eyes flicked towards the guards. Family handout/AFP. Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. "[35], On January 5, 2019, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that on the day after Whelan's arrest the United States had detained a Russian citizen, Dmitry Makarenko, in the Northern Marianas and transported him to Florida to face charges of unauthorized export of defense equipment. It is in this context that the nature of Whelan's discharge from the Marines received renewed attention. But Whelan never made it to the ceremony. 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. The Russian Rosbalt news agency quoted a source claiming that Whelan was working directly for US intelligence, tasked with obtaining a list of personnel at "one of Russia's secret institutions". [7], He was an IT manager for the Kelly Services staffing company from 2001[8] to 2003, and then 2008 to 2010. passport. The appropriate social media access links are given below. 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. He worked as an administrative clerk and chief before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct. But the same is presumably true in reverse. He left the company in 2016, moving to become director of global security for US-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner. The below table shows the required personal life details of Paul Whelan. 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. This material may not be reproduced without permission. 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. Video, 00:01:32Brother of detained American speaks, The Russian gun activist who was jailed in US. Q1. "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. By then, we'd learned that the American had visited Russia multiple times. On 28 December, however, he was arrested by Russia's FSB state security agency, which claimed he had been "caught spying" in Moscow. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. "It all sounds incredibly nave now," his brother concedes of the relationship, after finally obtaining the passwords for Paul's computers and trawling through his files. The three judges swept off the podium and out of court. Whelans last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. ", the American wrote back. They talked about foreign travel and never met. 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. "There's absolutely no reason he should have been in my room and no reason he should have given me any sort of device.". Whelan worked as an administrative clerk and administrative chief and was deployed in The Pentagon, Eleven years later, its officers would drive him there for interrogation. Cellmates get to shower once a week, together, in the basement. Some do have clear military connections - including photographs in uniform - though not all, and no-one who replied to my messages had seen any reason to doubt Whelan's motives. Florida resident Vladimir Nevidomy pleaded guilty in June 2018 to conspiracy with Makarenko and was sentenced to 26 months in prison. Reuters. He'd prepare a speech for each session, writing it out on a sheet of paper vetted and stamped by the prison censors. David Whelan comments on his brother's arrest by Russian authorities. American detained by Russia tried to steal thousands of dollars Whelan's own defence lawyer once hinted at that possibility. "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. (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 The minute the American was convicted, the focus shifted to a possible prisoner swap. In 2016 he left the company and became the director for global security in a US-based company. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for hisBad Conduct. The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. 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. He apparently had four passports, which he is said to have collected for fun. He worked in the 2000s as an IT project manager for Kelly Services Company. 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. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. The article shares only particular details about Paul Whelan and his conduct. WATCH NEXT: President Trump Attempts To Explain USSR-Afghanistan History. Nine months earlier, the UK had accused Russia of poisoning Sergei Skripal, a former double-agent, on the streets of Salisbury. Paul Whelan was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of larceny. "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. According to various reports, Paul Whelan served the Kelly services company after his dishonorable discharge and got a promotion in 2010. 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. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge: What Charges Made To Marine Against Bad Conduct? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. Sadly, for Mr. Whelan, it appears his own adventurism made The company disclosed that it didnt have any facilities in Russia. Paul Whelan (security director) - Wikipedia [24] According to attorneys for Whelan, they could not provide the name of Whelan's Russian friend due to Russian secrecy rules, but Whelan's family identified the person as Ilya Yatsenko, whom the Russian newspaper Kommersant described as a major in the FSB's Department "K", which monitors Russian economic crimes. ", 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? He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. [37] [38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would In December 2018, while on a trip to attend a friend's wedding in Russia, Whelan was detained by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. 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. Paul Whelan was born in a British family in Canada and then shifted to the US during his childhood. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. And, to make matters worse, he wrongfully used another person's Social Security number to engage in unlawful activity. Paul Whelan as a US marine and the front gate at his parents' property And yet, unknown to those closest to him, Paul had been court-martialled for trying to steal @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". His family says he was in Moscow to attend a friends wedding. "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. ", Zherebenko has worked on the high-profile international case of a Russian accused of. American Paul Whelan was discharged from the Marines Watching from the wooden courtroom benches, socially distanced and in medical facemasks, were the ambassadors of the US, UK and Canada. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. 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. "Trust is the most important thing when you are out there, living on the edge.". [4] In addition to his twin brother, Paul Whelan has a brother, Andrew, and a sister, Elizabeth. Curious To Check Full Wiki! He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin. Russian authorities alleged he possessed a computer flash drive containing classified information. It was noticeable, one such report said, that he chose only to befriend men and not "pretty Russian girls". Odds are he did something wrong. Accused spy Paul Whelan was discharged from Marines for bad If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. Brother of detained American speaks. Although we were only allowed to attend for the opening remarks, we managed to snatch several conversations with him. It is an extraordinarily long time. Paul Whelan Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. Officers typically bide their time, he explains, calling it "calf-rearing", before a target is culled. In June 2020, Whelan was sentenced to 16 years of hard labor in a Russian prison for espionage, in a trial that he has argued was politically motivated and heightened tensions between the United States and Russia. 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. His job at BorgWarner involves overseeing security for facilities, assets and people in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. He is currently facingChargesof16 years imprisonmentunder the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. "Whelan, do you understand the sentence?" It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. U.S. military records released shortly after his arrest last week showed that Paul Whelan had been convicted at a court-martial of charges that included larceny but did not disclose the nature of his crime. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. met with Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. [2][3] He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying. Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. The US government has been tight-lipped regarding efforts to release Mr Whelan. Whelan's family says that he he recently flew to Moscow to attend the wedding. [19] David said the family had not known Paul had a bad conduct discharge. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. It was a choice of bringing home one American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters. Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. He said a trial would not begin for at least six months, and that he would welcome an exchange of Whelan for Butina. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994, and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. Russia responded with a mirror mass expulsion of Western diplomats. Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. "I don't know if it was machismo; to show off," Fietsam said. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Who is Paul Whelan? 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). [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! Reuters, 8 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/paul-whelan-ex-us-marine-jailed-russia-spying-charges-2022-12-08/. "I think Paul will be taking it very hard. "[46], Whelan is a citizen of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. "The porridge, some days it goes direct to the toilet," Frode Berg wrote to me from northern Norway of life in the FSB prison. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? "Nothing's translated, Your Honour," the 50-year-old protested, sending an interpreter scurrying over to explain his fate. Paul Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. [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.
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