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. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Grim life of American 'spy' in Russian labour camp, CNN reports he was accused of using someone else's social security number, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Disney faces countersuit in feud with Florida. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. Paul Whelan was a former marine who was given a bad conduct discharge many years prior to his arrest in Russia in 2018. [3][6], According to a deposition Whelan gave in 2013, he was in law enforcement from 1988 to 2000 as a police officer in Chelsea, Michigan, and a sheriff's deputy in Washtenaw County. The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. https://jag.navylive.dodlive.mil/Portals/58/Mil_Jus_Quick_Guide.pdf. During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. Ivan Pavlov believes Whelan's claim he was framed is "always possible" with FSB intelligence officers. His family says he was in Moscow to attend a friends wedding. "It just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. It was with this scandal breaking behind the scenes, that he first headed for Moscow. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. 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. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Whelan on January 2, 2019, while Whelan was in Russian custody. 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. 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 The Interfax news agency says he has denied the allegation. "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". Whelan's family says that he he recently flew to Moscow to attend the wedding. A scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him. 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. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Whelan was caught red-handed, during a spy mission. Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. 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. The American disappeared without trace for three days until his twin stumbled across a news report announcing that his brother had been charged with espionage. Russia freed Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. 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. 2023 BBC. The website content does support later descriptions of Paul Whelan by contacts, colleagues and family as an enthusiastic world traveller who "made friends pretty much everywhere" and had an interest in Russian culture. ((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).) Britains foreign secretary says that Russia is trying to use him as a pawn in its geopolitical games. The case was immediately big news that grew further when it emerged that Whelan was a citizen of four countries. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. "As my cousins in England would say, this is complete bollocks.". Paul Whelan's travels in Russia began more than a decade ago. But there's nothing glamorous about prison life in Lefortovo. 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. "The porridge, some days it goes direct to the toilet," Frode Berg wrote to me from northern Norway of life in the FSB prison. WATCH NEXT: President Trump Attempts To Explain USSR-Afghanistan History. 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. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994, and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. 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. 18 under supervision of the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service. 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. [34] He said: "I presume that he is innocent because, for now, I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise. 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 link led to Maxim, who explained that his new friend, Paul Whelan, was helping with his English which he planned to study at university. "Trust is the most important thing when you are out there, living on the edge.". Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. The surge in East-West tensions has made espionage both more complex - and more urgent - in recent years. "If you've got mixed up in something like this, then you're in the most complicated story of your life," Ivan Pavlov says. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. 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. [1], U.S. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. Russian media say Whelan has been formally indicted for spying and could face up to 20 years in prison. Whelan and his family say letters have been held back for months by investigators and parcels returned. True. You're a spy, you'll be convicted,'" Olga Karlova told me last summer. Whelan, a 48-year-old former Marine and security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow, accused of spying. Reuters, 8 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/paul-whelan-ex-us-marine-jailed-russia-spying-charges-2022-12-08/. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. They talked about foreign travel and never met. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News on Friday that the British government is trying to help Paul Whelan. "No-one's hiding that, everyone talks about it, all the officials," he told the press. Whelan was friends with young servicemen in the US, though, too. Officials say the American ex-Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship. Its very grim. There's a Marines' flag flying right below the American flag on my parents' property the whole time," David told the BBC from Canada. 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. The pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. 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. Russia responded with a mirror mass expulsion of Western diplomats. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! 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. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. So the prisoner who has always called himself a political hostage is now looking to the politicians to do a deal for his release. 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". He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin. "I don't know if it was machismo; to show off," Fietsam said. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. It was a flat, abrupt end to a spy trial that had taken just a handful of closed hearings. When Whelan was arrested, the FSB found a USB drive in his pocket containing the classified information it alleges he had requested. Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. Whelan worked as an administrative clerk and administrative chief and was deployed in 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. He'll need to buy things like razors, toilet paper, soap, things that would be on-hand anywhere else. While David Whelan said the family does not "begrudge Ms Griner her freedom", the family believes it is "clear that the US government needs to be more assertive". Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. 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. Cellmates get to shower once a week, together, in the basement. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. 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. He is currently facingChargesof16 years imprisonmentunder the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. A decade later, he would message home regularly from trips to Russia displaying similar almost child-like wonder at new discoveries. Norway wasn't holding any convicted spies to trade and neither is America. 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. 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. The latest: WNBA star Brittney Griner landed in the United States around 5:30 a.m. under the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. His family, it has emerged, were unaware of events. Mr Whelan continued to work for Kelly Services, being promoted to senior manager of global security and investigations in 2010. He served 14 years in the "They don't want me to speak with you.". Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler, JC Reindl, and USA Today'sDeirdre Shesgreen and Tom Vanden Brook contributed to this report. [8] After a court-martial conviction in January 2008 on multiple counts "related to larceny", he was sentenced to 60 days restriction, reduction to pay grade E-4, and a bad conduct discharge. We dont know exactly why [he hasnt been added], maybe because he is too valuable for the swap, and theyve decided to hold him for longer, she added. [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. WebHe was sentenced to 60 days restriction, reduction to pay grade E-4, and, a bad-conduct discharge. 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. Filming was barred at all future hearings to stop the press capturing any more protests. Whelan was born on March 5, 1970,[4] in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,[5] to British parents with Irish heritage. In 2016 he left the company and became the director for global security in a US-based company. Q1. [20] David said his brother entered Russia using his U.S. Also Read Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures. It is in this context that the nature of Whelan's discharge from the Marines received renewed attention. 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. 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". A Twitter post by Benny Johnson states that President Biden chose Brittney Grinner in the prisoner swap over Paul Whelan. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. "[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. He served 14 years in the Corps before he was discharged. The photograph dates from Whelan's first trip to Moscow, made while he was serving with the US military in Iraq. "We never see or meet other prisoners. And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. He previously identified himself as a former sheriff deputy, which Britains foreign secretary says Russia is trying to use a man detained as an alleged spy as a pawn in its geopolitical games. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. 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, according to the Washington Post. Eleven years later, its officers would drive him there for interrogation. After news of Griners release Thursday, U.S. officials lamented not being able to secure Whelans release, but said they were continuing the efforts. "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. "It will be very difficult to mount a defence.". At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. [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. New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. [4] In addition to his twin brother, Paul Whelan has a brother, Andrew, and a sister, Elizabeth. A retired border guard, Frode Berg admitted to delivering envelopes of cash and spy instructions on behalf of Norwegian military intelligence agency. 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. The appropriate social media access links are given below. The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. ", US 'outraged' as Russia jails American for spying. Russia has not publicly presented any evidence to support the charges against Whelan. [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. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC. It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. Paul Whelan would be brought for multiple custody hearings and appeals over the months and we squeezed in almost every time. Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that its embassy in Moscow is requesting consular access to Whelan. 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 convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged.2 We have By then, we'd learned that the American had visited Russia multiple times. 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. AP NEWS, 8 Dec. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-michigan-united-states-government-russia-bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f. 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. If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. "Whelan, do you understand the sentence?" "There's absolutely no reason he should have been in my room and no reason he should have given me any sort of device.". In Room 3324 of Moscow's Metropol hotel, Paul Whelan was getting dressed for a friend's wedding when Russian intelligence officers burst in. Hunt says Friday that we are giving him every support that we can, but we dont agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games., Hunt adds that we are extremely worried about him and his family.. [44] After negotiations, only Griner was exchanged for Bout on December 8, 2022, as the Kremlin had refused to release Whelan and posed an ultimatum to the Biden administration of freeing Griner or no one. And he didn't hide his interests and encounters. Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. Dustoff262 Charter Member / Moderator "[14] A few weeks later, Zherebenkov said Whelan had been unaware of the contents of the USB drive and believed it contained material solely of personal value such as "photographs, videos, anything at all, about his previous holiday in Russia. Did he commit any severe crime? MILITARY JUSTICE QUICK GUIDE. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. Russia would later insinuate, via anonymous sources quoted in the press, that the CIA had selected candidates for Paul Whelan to cultivate for intelligence. [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. 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. A city watching out for Russian and Chinese spies, Putin, power and poison: Russias elite FSB spy club, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan'. 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.". 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. He wondered whether some comment, or joke might have been disastrously misconstrued. 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. After the Salisbury poisoning in early 2018, more than 100 Russian diplomats identified as intelligence agents were expelled from embassies around the world in a co-ordinated act of protest. 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. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. Paul N. Whelan, adjutant, Marine Air Control Group 38 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), pictured before the Kremlin in 2007. he asked. Why was Paul Whelan discharged from military service? 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 described his fellow inmates as quite welcoming.. As described in a 2008 appeal that was denied, Whelan received this sentence for, among other things, attempted larceny, false statements, and dereliction of duty: A military judge sitting as a special court martial convicted the appellant [Paul N. Whelan], consistent with his pleas, of 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 checks without having sufficient funds in his account for payment He was sentenced to 60 days restriction, reduction to pay grade E-4, and a bad-conduct discharge. Watching from the wooden courtroom benches, socially distanced and in medical facemasks, were the ambassadors of the US, UK and Canada. Some observers have said they believe Whelan's arrest was made on flimsy grounds and is likely retribution for the arrest of a suspected Russian spy. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open. 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. Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Russia argues that Butina is a political prisoner. Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. He apparently had four passports, which he is said to have collected for fun. Read about our approach to external linking. What are your opinions for this swap? 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. [7] A former colleague said he was a patrol officer from 1998 to 2000 in the Keego Harbor police department. "He seemed nice and was fascinated by our country, its history and our traditions and people!" Whelan was arrested in Moscow last week. The Salisbury poisoning: What happened next? 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.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The lawyer warns that the FSB is the "mightiest secret service, not only in Russia," and uses its own experts to examine any evidence for the court. The Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. 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. Since entering Russian custody, Whelan has faced changing conditions. He was flanked by FSB guards, faces covered so they couldn't be identified. The judge then turned to address the defendant, who was standing in a glass cage guarded by two FSB security officers in black balaclavas. https://home.army.mil/bliss/index.php/about/news/administrative-discharge-status-can-affect-benefits. At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. 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. He worked as an administrative clerk and chief before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct. He says his brother's VK messages were deleted after his arrest. U.S. military record convicting Paul Whelan of stealing $10,400 while at Al Asad air base, Iraq in 2006. pic.twitter.com/C9MVeHb5RK. 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. To know the authentic details on Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge news, read through this blog until very close. Was Paul Whelan given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marines? "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. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. he wrote. So when Whelan's plight became public, there was speculation that he could be the human collateral.
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