Marine Corps). Court records provided by the Marine Corps headquarters show that he had been accused of attempting to steal more than $10,000 while serving as an administrative clerk in Iraq in 2006. If he's a spy, then I'm Michael Jackson!!!!" This is the second time Whelan has been overlooked in a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. The photograph dates from Whelan's first trip to Moscow, made while he was serving with the US military in Iraq. He has no apparent link to the military himself and joked to me via VK that the American "didn't request to see anything suspicious :))". Specifically, he received a "Bad Conduct Discharge" handed down by a special court martial. James B. Hoke/U.S. The Russian investigators state that Paul Whelan is a spy working for military intelligence and holding the rank of Colonel or any higher post. 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. There were signs of problems even earlier. 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. Video, 00:01:32, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. "He seemed nice and was fascinated by our country, its history and our traditions and people!" Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. Paul Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. His service ended after he was convicted at a WebEither a spook or doing some industrial espionage. He is currently facing. "If you've got mixed up in something like this, then you're in the most complicated story of your life," Ivan Pavlov says. 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. ago. So no evidence - the wire taps or surveillance footage the case is reportedly based on - has been made public. 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. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. 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. It's possible he even introduced his parents to "Dmitry" on their 2009 trip to Russia, they can't be sure. He wondered whether some comment, or joke might have been disastrously misconstrued. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. 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. The American refused and as his time in custody was extended repeatedly, he gradually grew bolder in court. "Family of American Prisoner Paul Whelan Backs Griner Deal." When Whelan was arrested, the FSB found a USB drive in his pocket containing the classified information it alleges he had requested. "Having grown up during the Cold War, it was a dream of mine to visit Russia and meet some of the sneaky Russians who had kept the western world at bay for so long!!" Its clear that the U.S. government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his. This article will convey all the necessary information on Paul Whelan. The link led to Maxim, who explained that his new friend, Paul Whelan, was helping with his English which he planned to study at university. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open. Whelan was born on March 5, 1970,[4] in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,[5] to British parents with Irish heritage. The Salisbury poisoning: What happened next? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. He worked in the 2000s as an IT project manager for Kelly Services Company. "But it was very unusual.". "I will be with guys from the FSB, so should be okay! ", Zherebenko has worked on the high-profile international case of a Russian accused of. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. 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. 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. But the espionage case was based entirely on Whelan's ties to one officer, with all the evidence gathered in 2018 shortly before his arrest. At the time, there were uncorroborated reports he had been caught receiving a digital storage device containing a list of intelligence officials. CNN reports he was accused of using someone else's social security number, and "writing bad cheques". He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. Britains foreign secretary says that Russia is trying to use him as a pawn in its geopolitical games. 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". Spy trials in Russia are not only heard in secret, the defence lawyers have to sign non-disclosure agreements covering the entire case. "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. But Whelan chatted openly to relatives on email about his friend, including which "FSB school" he'd attended. [3][14] By then, we'd learned that the American had visited Russia multiple times. In early 2019, the drama of his now multi-national arrest was developing against a hostile political backdrop, with mutual sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and East-West tension not felt since Soviet times. So when Whelan's plight became public, there was speculation that he could be the human collateral. During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. Officials have now confirmed that Whelan holds U.S., British and Irish citizenship. [1], U.S. Such a punishment generally disqualifies a former Marine from receiving Veterans Affairs benefits. Paul Whelan received a 'bad conduct discharge' from the Marines in 2008. Whelan, 48, was arrested Fridayin Moscow, and was charged withespionage. "I don't know if it was machismo; to show off," Fietsam said. 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. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. Prisoner trade deal: Her release was part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. 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. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News on Friday that the British government is trying to help Paul Whelan. On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called on Washington to show "humanity" and release Yaroshenko "and other unjustly convicted" Russians. When the judge returned to court, to extend his stay in prison once again, Whelan's frustration erupted. More details on Whelans professional life, Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures, Cryptopunk NFT Price (Aug 2021) How To Buy? The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. "I can't imagine how someone with a law enforcement background who is also a former US Marine, and who is now working in corporate security and is also aware of the risks of travel, would have broken any law let alone the law related to espionage," he said. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. At the same time, Washington was still accusing Moscow of meddling in its elections. He left the company in 2016, moving to become director of global security for US-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner. | This is not a situation where we had a choice of which American to bring home. 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. Whelan, who at the time of his arrest was the head of global security for a US-based car parts firm, began to denounce the charge of espionage as "ridiculous", and declare that he was being tried by a "kangaroo court". Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. [23], According to Whelan, his long-time friend had appeared unexpectedly in the hotel, followed by authorities, who later arrested him. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994, and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Why was Whelan rejected for the Prisoners swap? 2023 BBC. The pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. His lawyers do plan to appeal against the verdict but other, bigger forces are already at play. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. That year he told a Marines news site that he'd taken advantage of a programme that funded a two-week break abroad for those on long deployments. Although we were only allowed to attend for the opening remarks, we managed to snatch several conversations with him. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. Coint, Prediction. The Interfax news agency says he has denied the allegation. Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. The surge in East-West tensions has made espionage both more complex - and more urgent - in recent years. 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. But there's nothing glamorous about prison life in Lefortovo. "[31] On January 4, 2019, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We don't agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games We are all extremely worried about him and his family. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. Why did he face dishonorable discharge? So we were eligible for British and Canadian citizenship because we were born in Canada to British parents. The article shares only particular details about Paul Whelan and his conduct. [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. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. He said a trial would not begin for at least six months, and that he would welcome an exchange of Whelan for Butina. [37] [38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would He urged the U.S. Congress and the State Department to help get his brother freed. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994,and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. He started as an IT project manager for a company called Kelly Services in the early 2000s, but deployed with the marines within a couple of years on the first of two tours to Iraq, in 2004 and then 2006. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. Administrative Discharge Status Can Affect Benefits. Here's what this means for the future of other American hostages. 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. [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. Britains Press Association said Whelans U.K. citizenship was reported by the U.S. embassy to British officials on Thursday. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. For his crimes, he was ultimately discharged from the Marine Corps for bad conduct, a ruling he unsuccessfully attempted to appeal. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Whelan and his family say letters have been held back for months by investigators and parcels returned. 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. Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. "I don't know anything what [sic] might be interesting to foreign spy. he wrote. As described in a military justice fact sheet, this is "one of two types of punitive discharges that may be imposed on an enlisted person" and is "less severe than a Dishonorable Discharge.". His family says he was in Moscow to attend a friends wedding. 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. In messages home from Moscow in January 2018 - a free holiday to use up his air miles - the American described visiting restaurants with his agent-friend, as well as the museums of the Kremlin and even a British pub. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". Disclaimer The article shares only particular details about Paul Whelan and his conduct. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. 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. [43] The Russian side insisted on the additional release of Vadim Krasikov, an assassin serving a life sentence for murder in Germany. Is climate change killing Australian wine? How Crypto is Removed From Circulation. Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. Curious To Check Full Wiki! "His experience of having already been to the Kremlin and having already walked around Red Square and navigating the metro, his friend felt Paul could assist a bunch of Americans who hadn't otherwise ever been to Moscow," David Whelan said. His family decided not to change them, reasoning that a bill of over $150,000 (121,000) was "an awful lot of resources for what would have been zero impact". And yet, unknown to those closest to him, Paul had been court-martialled for trying to steal more than $10,000 from the US government. Mr Whelan was "responsible for overseeing security" at facilities in Michigan and around the world, a company statement said. "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. He was flanked by FSB guards, faces covered so they couldn't be identified. ", "He said it's beautiful and he liked the cold and he had quite a few friends there.". Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. 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. Image Via KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images. 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. ", US envoy visits spy suspect held in Russia, Brother of detained American speaks. It was a flat, abrupt end to a spy trial that had taken just a handful of closed hearings. "Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission," Whelan announced one day, as we waited for the judge. Whelan's family are already pushing for action after a sentence that his brother, David, called "a gut punch'. 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. They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. Though U.S. President Joe Biden had been attempting to secure the release of both Griner and Whelan in one move, Russian authorities refused to include Whelan in any trade. And then, the Irish changed the law in the early part of the century to allow grandchildren of Irish citizens to get Irish citizenship. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! ((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).) This is slimy, greasy corrupt Russian politics, nothing more, nothing less. The US has said repeatedly the two men were convicted in open and fair trials. Eleven years later, its officers would drive him there for interrogation. Whe He Dead? "I don't believe that Paul is a spy," the man wrote to me. The latest: WNBA star Brittney Griner landed in the United States around 5:30 a.m. A special court martial also found him guilty of failing to report his vacation time. To know the authentic details on Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge news, read through this blog until very close. He received a Bad Conduct Discharge as the result of a UCMJ Courts Martial. [22], The BBC cited family members of Whelan, who said he previously bragged about knowing an agent of the FSB, and was privy to an unusual cache of personal details about his friend, including which intelligence training school he attended (biographical information typically reserved for a very close circle). Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler, JC Reindl, and USA Today'sDeirdre Shesgreen and Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this report. He was convicted at a special court-martial in January 2008 on several charges related to larceny and was given a bad-conduct discharge in December 2008 at the rank of private. What are your opinions for this swap? In 2009, he took his own parents to visit Russia, where they've told me they met several of his young friends in military uniform. Whelan, the 48-year-old global security director for a U.S. auto parts company, was arrested Dec. 28 in Moscow. A member of his defence team has since revealed that he was coming under intense pressure from the FSB to confess, interrogated several times without his lawyers present. He served 14 years in the Corps before he was discharged. Whelan worked as an administrative clerk and administrative chief and was deployed in Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. But the same is presumably true in reverse. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. met with Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. Q1. "No way? 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. ET Friday in San Antonio. Nine months earlier, the UK had accused Russia of poisoning Sergei Skripal, a former double-agent, on the streets of Salisbury. But Whelan never made it to the ceremony. Since entering Russian custody, Whelan has faced changing conditions. Paul Whelan, the global security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. "He said Russia! 18 under supervision of the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service. He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. He described his fellow inmates as quite welcoming.. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. "And a catastrophe for Paul". The below table shows the required personal life details of Paul Whelan. Since his arrest, the Marine Corps has disclosed that he was discharged in 2008 for bad conduct, a revelation that "absolutely stunned" his twin brother David. His mornings begin at 6 a.m. and his routine is monotonous, but writing letters and reading books in English helped him get through it, he said. When we go to a meeting, prisoners were hidden from each other," Berg describes the lonely routine of life inside the K-shape jail, whose tall outer walls now butt-up against Soviet apartment blocks. Are you on Telegram? Whelan was arrested in Moscow last week. Why is Paul Whelan imprisoned? 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. The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. It has been nearly four years since Russian authorities arrested Paul Whelan in Moscow on charges of espionage. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. [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". The Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. ", Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. 6 Top-Notch Dental Courses Online for Beginners in 2023, What is a Token Burn? The American, whose glasses, side parting and blue sweater that he wore to each court appearance gave him the look of a neat, middle-aged librarian, looked back at the judge blankly. 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. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. [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. (Video: Rich Matthews/The Washington Post), Essential reporting from around the world. On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. He worked as an administrative clerk and chief before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. "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 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 Claim: Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. Brother of detained American speaks. Whelan received a "bad conduct discharge" from the Marines in 2008. The company disclosed that it didnt have any facilities in Russia. Specifically, he received a "Bad Conduct Discharge" handed down by a special court martial. Perhaps Whelan enjoyed the element of danger that came from flirting with the FSB, hanging out with intelligence officers. He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin. "[21] As of January 4, British and Irish consular officials were seeking access to Whelan. It said it made the request after receiving a request for assistance from an Irish citizen detained in Moscow.