Meanwhile, the front page of his website invited visitors to click on the image of a young Russian soldier to learn more about his "hobbies and military service". 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. ", the American wrote back. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. He served 14 years in the Corps before he was discharged. 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. 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. A retired border guard, Frode Berg admitted to delivering envelopes of cash and spy instructions on behalf of Norwegian military intelligence agency. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for hisBad Conduct. Dan McCafferty Nazareth: Know Cause of Death! ", US envoy visits spy suspect held in Russia, Brother of detained American speaks. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC. Russian officials say the American former Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British citizenship, and London has requested consular access to him. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred, he said in a phone interview with CNN from the remote Russian penal colony where he is being detained. Reuters. he wrote. (Cpl. "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. He was formally charged on January 3, 2019. Its very grim. Because Whelan received a bad conduct discharge, the claim that Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines is "True.". Britains Press Association said Whelans U.K. citizenship was reported by the U.S. embassy to British officials on Thursday. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. It was a flat, abrupt end to a spy trial that had taken just a handful of closed hearings. "He seemed nice and was fascinated by our country, its history and our traditions and people!" 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. He urged the U.S. Congress and the State Department to help get his brother freed. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. "But it was very unusual.". In a trial the U.S. criticized as unfair, Whelan was convicted of spying and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian penal colony. 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. Specifically, he received a "Bad Conduct Discharge" handed down by a special court martial. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". [30] He told Whelan's family that Paul was "in good health and good spirits", but that the family needed to supply all his incidental needs aside from basic foodstuffs. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. 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.". 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 __ 11:25 p.m. Officials say the American ex-Marine "I don't believe that Paul is a spy," the man wrote to me. passport. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his. Whelan's last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. 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 Britains foreign secretary says Russia is trying to use a man detained as an alleged spy as a pawn in its geopolitical games. Paul Whelan was born in a British family in Canada and then shifted to the US during his childhood. 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. He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. 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). "I think Paul will be taking it very hard. He said in a deposition in 2013 that he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA degree. 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 of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. The image was of the headquarters of Russia's notorious security services, now known as the FSB. In Whelan's case, there's the added nuance that his defence team were appointed and paid for by the Russian state. After news of Griners release Thursday, U.S. officials lamented not being able to secure Whelans release, but said they were continuing the efforts. "Paul Whelan is innocent," Ambassador John Sullivan told me emphatically last week, calling the trial a "mockery of justice". [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. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. 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. [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. Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. 2023 www.freep.com. "This is 'Lubyanka' where the KGB has our spies locked in the basement!! [15] He took courses at Northern Michigan University from fall 1988 to fall 1990 without earning a degree. Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. Yes. He was flanked by FSB guards, faces covered so they couldn't be identified. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. [16][17][18] Whelan's twin brother David said Whelan arrived in Moscow on December 22 to attend the wedding of a former fellow Marine at the Hotel Metropol Moscow and to assist the groom's family members on their first visit to Russia, a country he had visited many times. The Salisbury poisoning: What happened next? 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. 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. [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. He's someone I've known for ten years," he revealed for the first time. "[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. Officers typically bide their time, he explains, calling it "calf-rearing", before a target is culled. 2023 BBC. Irish officials say a man being detained by Russia, Paul Whelan, has requested help from the Irish government and report they will do what they can to come to his aid. ", Whelan breezily told his parents after one Facetime chat with the Russian. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. Who is Paul Whelan? "There's absolutely no reason he should have been in my room and no reason he should have given me any sort of device.". What are your opinions for this swap? The surge in East-West tensions has made espionage both more complex - and more urgent - in recent years. It was noticeable, one such report said, that he chose only to befriend men and not "pretty Russian girls". Whelan's own defence lawyer once hinted at that possibility. Paul Whelan, the global security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. "If I do that, I'll be in a bad way," Whelan told me, warily. Read about our approach to external linking. He said the evidence was only ever examined by "incompetent and interested parties". David Whelan issued a family statement on Friday on behalf of his brother, Paul Whelan, saying that the family was very pleased to know that staff of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have been given consular access to Paul and confirmed that he is safe., He says the familys focus remains on ensuring that Paul is safe, well treated, has a good lawyer, and is coming home.. It does not have any facilities in Russia. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. mannymoelarry 2 mo. Reuters, 8 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/paul-whelan-ex-us-marine-jailed-russia-spying-charges-2022-12-08/. [13], Whelan traveled to Russia several times from 2006 and maintained an intermittent presence on a Russian language social media website, Vkontakte (VK), where he had approximately 70 contacts. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. The Russian described the two spending several days "touring Moscow" together, eating sushi and caviar-filled pancakes. 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. The American refused and as his time in custody was extended repeatedly, he gradually grew bolder in court. Ryan Pickrell, Business Insider He'd prepare a speech for each session, writing it out on a sheet of paper vetted and stamped by the prison censors. "Nothing's translated, Your Honour," the 50-year-old protested, sending an interpreter scurrying over to explain his fate. "I can talk louder than you, Your Honour," he shouted from the cage. [37] [38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would 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. (Video: Rich Matthews/The Washington Post), Essential reporting from around the world. One light remains on in the cell 24/7. How Crypto is Removed From Circulation. Paul N. Whelan, adjutant, Marine Air Control Group 38 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), pictured before the Kremlin in 2007. Whe He Dead? Former CIA officers have dismissed any suggestion that Whelan could be involved in something similar, operating without diplomatic immunity: the idea, floated by one retired Russian officer, that his arrest was a "great failure" of US intelligence. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. His own cellmate in Lefortovo used to joke that the inmates were fed dog food in the mornings. "It will be very difficult to mount a defence.". Coint, Prediction. True. Whelan, the 48-year-old global security director for a U.S. auto parts company, was arrested Dec. 28 in Moscow. 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. : Griner had been imprisoned in Russia since February, when she was accused of entering the country with vape cartridges that contained less than a gram of cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country. And then, the Irish changed the law in the early part of the century to allow grandchildren of Irish citizens to get Irish citizenship. Did he commit any severe crime? 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.. This undated photo provided by the Whelan family shows Paul Whelan in Iceland. At that, the judge ordered the TV cameras to be removed from court. He now told me his friend had planted the device in his pocket, without him realising. Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that its embassy in Moscow is requesting consular access to Whelan. (Courtesy of the Whelan Family via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. Whelan has been detained in Russia for nearly four years and in August 2020, he was sent to prison camp IK-17 in the Mordovia region of Russia, some 210 miles east of Moscow. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. The two met in person for a few hours in 2008 when Whelan was touring Russia, visiting multiple friends in various cities. Sentenced to a high-security prison, Paul Whelan won't be leaving Lefortovo just yet. 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. 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". Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. This is not a situation where we had a choice of which American to bring home. [41], Family members said Whelan had been told that he had been arrested to be exchanged for a Russian prisoner in the United States, mentioning Konstantin Yaroshenko (who was released in return for American Trevor Reed), Viktor Bout, or Roman Seleznev. The Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise. "That's the only reason they've done this," he alleged. 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 but officials say Whelan also has British citizenship. "Trust is the most important thing when you are out there, living on the edge.". for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. She was deported back to Russia in October 2019. "Had this been an independent court, they would have reached only one decision - not guilty," his lawyer, Vladimir Zherebyonkov said after the verdict. "If you've got mixed up in something like this, then you're in the most complicated story of your life," Ivan Pavlov says. "I don't know if it was machismo; to show off," Fietsam said. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. The appropriate social media access links are given below. His website describes his "respect and admiration" for three Naval Academy graduates who'd just joined the Marines. Read about our approach to external linking. he asked. Dustoff262 Charter Member / Moderator [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. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. 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. "I'm not allowed to give you details, but I can tell you I was set-up. Whelan served 14 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve until he was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. "That person was an FSB officer. Born in Canada to British parents of Irish heritage, he later moved to the US entitling him to multiple passports as a result. 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. Why was Whelan rejected for the Prisoners swap? Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. The minute the American was convicted, the focus shifted to a possible prisoner swap. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. While not as severe as a dishonorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge is a significant punishment in the U.S. military justice system. "This is how FSB careers are made; people rise on the back of such cases, like mushrooms after the rain.". "In reality, they abducted Mr Bean on holiday.". His job at BorgWarner involves overseeing security for facilities, assets and people in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. 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. It has been nearly four years since Russian authorities arrested Paul Whelan in Moscow on charges of espionage. "[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. A national security official said Thursday that Whelan was never really an option for the Russians during the negotiations about freeing Griner, and that due to the nature of the espionage charges against him, Russians rejected all the proposals U.S. officials presented them. He apparently had four passports, which he is said to have collected for fun. 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. Almost exactly a year before Paul Whelan's arrest, a Norwegian staying at the same central Moscow hotel was arrested and charged with espionage. At the same time, Washington was still accusing Moscow of meddling in its elections. Russian authorities claim the 48-year-old American, who is being held in Lefortovo Prison, was working as a spy. AP NEWS, 8 Dec. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-michigan-united-states-government-russia-bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f. "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. Whelan, 48, was arrested Fridayin Moscow, and was charged withespionage. "I'm trying to focus on immediate goals, so I don't get distracted by how awful it is that he could spend 16 years behind bars," David Whelan told me, imagining how his twin would have felt, convicted of spying and heading back to his prison cell. 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. [19] David said the family had not known Paul had a bad conduct discharge. James B. Hoke/U.S. Quite dilapidated. The former Marine said he was living in quite crowded spaces and estimated that his building housed 50 to 60 people. The FSB was already dripping details of the case it would make in court. There's a Marines' flag flying right below the American flag on my parents' property the whole time," David told the BBC from Canada. But the space measures 9.5 square metres between two prisoners and exercise is one hour a day on the roof. The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. Twin brother of Novi man accused of spying in Russia: He's innocent, US wants access to Michigan man held in Moscow on spy charges, Novi businessman, 48, accused of 'spy mission' in Russia, 'Does not fit any spy': What made accused Russian spy Maria Butina different. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. American Who Loves Russia Ensnared in New Cold War", United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, "American Paul Whelan arrested in Russia on spy charges as potential retribution for Maria Butina", "Brother of American arrested in Russia on spy charges says he was there for a wedding", "American arrested in Russia on spying charges was there for a wedding", "Twin brother of Novi man accused of spying in Russia: He's innocent", " 16 ", "Jeremy Hunt warns Russia not to play 'diplomatic chess games' over British man arrested for spying", " , ", "The curious case of the ex-marine jailed for spying", "Russia keen to raise Paul Whelan's jail time to 18 years", "Ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan sentenced to 16 years jail in Russia", "Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying by Russia, Thrown in Moscow's Most Infamous Dungeon", "Details of Russian obstruction paint bleak picture for American held in Moscow", "Russia's Arrest of Paul Whelan Is Payback for Maria Butina, CIA Veterans Say", "The President* Is So Hopelessly Compromised", "Ambassador Huntsman visits American detained in Moscow", "Russia allows U.S. ambassador to meet with detained American", "American detained by Russia was convicted of trying to steal thousands of dollars while deployed to Iraq as a Marine", "Seor K: Russia and Argentina split over mysterious drug smuggling case", "Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying, Is Said to Be Charged in Russia", "US spy suspect found with Russian 'state secrets', lawyer says", "Moscow Accuses Washington of Detaining Russian Citizen After Whelan's Arrest", "Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, convicted of espionage charges in Russia, gets 16-year prison sentence", "American Paul Whelan convicted of spying by Russia, gets 16 years in prison", "Russian court sentences US citizen Paul Whelan to 16 years in prison", "American Paul Whelan arrives at Russian penal colony after espionage conviction", "Paul Whelan: Grim life of US 'spy' in Russian labour camp", "Trevor Reed came back home, but Paul Whelan is still imprisoned in Russia", "CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan", "In freeing Griner, Biden faced resistance abroad and at home", "Inside Biden's agonizing decision to take a deal that freed Brittney Griner but left Paul Whelan in Russia", "Griner's release puts a spotlight on Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia", "Ex-US marine accused of spying in Russia is British citizen", "US citizen held in Moscow seeks Irish consular aid", "Here's what we know about Paul Whelan, the US citizen accused of spying in Russia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Whelan_(security_director)&oldid=1152256903, American people convicted of spying for the United States, People with acquired American citizenship, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 03:53. New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. 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. [7] He took military leave from Kelly Services to serve with the Marine Corps Reserve from 2003 to 2008, including service in Iraq. Sharing pictures of the visit, he said he had a "quite enjoyable time" exploring the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. Russian authorities alleged he possessed a computer flash drive containing classified information. Mr Whelan is a citizen of four countries - the US, Canada, the UK and the Irish Republic. 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". 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So without much ado, read thePaul Whelan Dishonorable Dischargeblog to know the complete story. He says his brother's VK messages were deleted after his arrest. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. 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. Marine Corps). "[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. How long has Paul Whelan been held in a Russian penal colony? If he's a spy, then I'm Michael Jackson!!!!" 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. "They don't want me to speak with you.". One replied to tell me he'd been a student and supermarket night-guard when the American first made contact. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. So the prisoner who has always called himself a political hostage is now looking to the politicians to do a deal for his release. 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. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". Evidence shows that he was caught with a flash drive that contained highly classified information. https://home.army.mil/bliss/index.php/about/news/administrative-discharge-status-can-affect-benefits. (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 Whelan's family, for their part, have been supportive of Griner's release. [45], Whelan's brother David Whelan approved of the decision to "make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn't going to happen. The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office.
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