All rights reserved. Russian authorities alleged he possessed a computer flash drive containing classified information. Although we were only allowed to attend for the opening remarks, we managed to snatch several conversations with him. "But it was very unusual.". The FSB was already dripping details of the case it would make in court. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. On Dec. 8, 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released to American custody after spending nearly 10 months as a prisoner in the Russian penal system on marijuana-related charges. "[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. The Ex-Marine 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. To know the authentic details on Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge news, read through this blog until very close. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. "Nothing's translated, Your Honour," the 50-year-old protested, sending an interpreter scurrying over to explain his fate. Paul Whelan was not recently included in the Prisoner swap activity with Russia. (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 He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. But when I asked for his side of the story, his eyes flicked towards the guards. Whelan's family, for their part, have been supportive of Griner's release. "He said Russia! "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!!" It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. 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. 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. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. The Pentagon, which released his records, said the charges related to larceny. [7], He was an IT manager for the Kelly Services staffing company from 2001[8] to 2003, and then 2008 to 2010. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. He says his brother's VK messages were deleted after his arrest. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. '''Dmitry' says hello! "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. At the time, he was identified only as an American. From 2010 to 2016 Whelan was Kelly Services' senior manager of global security and operations. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his. Russia freed Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. At Kelly Services, his title was senior manager of global security and investigations. ", the American wrote back. For his crimes, he was ultimately discharged from the Marine Corps for bad conduct, a ruling he unsuccessfully attempted to appeal. Russian authorities claim the 48-year-old American, who is being held in Lefortovo Prison, was working as a spy. 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. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. 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. He said in a deposition in 2013 that he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA degree. (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 Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. There were signs of problems even earlier. "I can talk louder than you, Your Honour," he shouted from the cage. Accessed 9 Dec. 2022. It's possible he even introduced his parents to "Dmitry" on their 2009 trip to Russia, they can't be sure. The Russian investigators state that Paul Whelan is a spy working for military intelligence and holding the rank of Colonel or any higher post. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. This undated photo provided by the Whelan family shows Paul Whelan in Iceland. Ireland says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case.. Image Via KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images. 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. 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. "We never see or meet other prisoners. governments reaction to Paul Whelans arrest. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. In 2016 he left the company and became the director for global security in a US-based company. 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. [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. The news that Paul Whelan holds citizenship in four countries brings international pressure on Russia from several fronts. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. But Whelan never made it to the ceremony. 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". "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. U.S. officials say they are still working to secure the release of the former Marine, who was arrested in Moscow in 2018, but claim he was not part of the negotiations for Thursdays prisoner swap because his case is being treated differently by the Russians. [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. He also told CNN he had a recurring cough and noted that getting medical care was difficult even prevented by guards in the colony. More details on Whelans professional life, Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures, Cryptopunk NFT Price (Aug 2021) How To Buy? Whelan, 48, was arrested Fridayin Moscow, and was charged withespionage. 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. Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PAUL N. WHELAN. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. He served 14 years in the Corps before he was discharged. She was deported back to Russia in October 2019. He's the kindest soul! The three judges swept off the podium and out of court. 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. passport. 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". The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. 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. At the time, he was identified only as an American. Paul Whelan received a 'bad conduct discharge' from the Marines in 2008. 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. As he still works for the FSB, I can't identify him so I'll call him "Dmitry". 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. He is also a serving intelligence officer. 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. 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. [7] A former colleague said he was a patrol officer from 1998 to 2000 in the Keego Harbor police department. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. [21], According to the Russian news agency Rosbalt[ru], Whelan was apprehended in his hotel room at the Metropol Hotel while concluding a long outing with a Russian citizen, who handed him a USB drive containing "a list of all the employees at a classified security agency". New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. ago. WATCH NEXT: President Trump Attempts To Explain USSR-Afghanistan History. "There's absolutely no reason he should have been in my room and no reason he should have given me any sort of device.". At a news conference on Thursday, President Biden said that the US government will "never give up" on securing Mr Whelan's release. In a 9 November statement - which largely focused on Ms Griner - the White House said that the US government is willing to follow up on its exchange offer for Ms Griner with "alternative potential ways forward" to secure the release of Americans detained in Russian, including Mr Whelan. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. Paul Whelan's early life and the possibility of congressional intervention, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Whelan's last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. "It just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. His job at BorgWarner involves overseeingsecurity for "facilities, assets and people" in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. The pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. Since entering Russian custody, Whelan has faced changing conditions. 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. 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". Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. Whelan served 14 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve until he was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. Russia has not publicly presented any evidence to support the charges against Whelan. Whelan was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny, according to the records," the newspaper wrote. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. met with Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. You're a spy, you'll be convicted,'" Olga Karlova told me last summer. In Frode Berg's case, the Norwegian government stayed quiet. He wondered whether some comment, or joke might have been disastrously misconstrued. (Video: Rich Matthews/The Washington Post), Essential reporting from around the world. 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. In a trial the U.S. criticized as unfair, Whelan was convicted of spying and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian penal colony. Officials have said the dialogue about Whelans release remains open. ", Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. 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. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! 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". 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. He joined the Marine Reserves May 10, 1994, and was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. [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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called on Washington to show "humanity" and release Yaroshenko "and other unjustly convicted" Russians. 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 And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. To be correct, the Marines did not give Paul Whelan a Dishonorable Discharge. Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". 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. Trump deploys 80 US troops to Gabon in case 'violent demonstrations' occur after contentious presidential election, The U.S. military is warning that China's fishing boats are bullies and could start a war on the high seas, Here are 7 of the best weapons to have when you're up close and personal with the enemy, Navy SEAL accused of a brutal killing allegedly threatened to blackmail his teammates: 'I have s on all of you', Trump claimed ISIS was defeated just as the U.S. military was ramping up its strikes on ISIS militants in Syria. Ryan Pickrell, Business Insider AP NEWS, 8 Dec. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-michigan-united-states-government-russia-bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In Room 3324 of Moscow's Metropol hotel, Paul Whelan was getting dressed for a friend's wedding when Russian intelligence officers burst in. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. Russia would later insinuate, via anonymous sources quoted in the press, that the CIA had selected candidates for Paul Whelan to cultivate for intelligence. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. There's a Marines' flag flying right below the American flag on my parents' property the whole time," David told the BBC from Canada. Her release was secured via a prisoner exchange in which U.S. authorities released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Paul Whelan was born in a British family in Canada and then shifted to the US during his childhood. "[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. The convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged.2 We have 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.. Did he commit any severe crime? His own cellmate in Lefortovo used to joke that the inmates were fed dog food in the mornings. On 28 December, however, he was arrested by Russia's FSB state security agency, which claimed he had been "caught spying" in Moscow. 18 under supervision of the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service. Paul Whelan was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of larceny. Whelan said the drive had been given to him by a friend, as part of a sting operation, and he was under the impression it contained wedding photographs. 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. 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). [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. [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. 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. Reuters. 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. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. At the time, he was identified only as an American but officials say Whelan also has British citizenship. 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. This material may not be reproduced without permission. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge: What Charges Made To Marine Against Bad Conduct? A scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him. It is in this context that the nature of Whelan's discharge from the Marines received renewed attention. Filming was barred at all future hearings to stop the press capturing any more protests. Whelan was friends with young servicemen in the US, though, too. A recent newspaper report claimed that the American had come to FSB attention over a decade ago when, as Kommersant's source says, he "actively" began contacting Russian servicemen. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. Russia argues that Butina is a political prisoner. Why is Paul Whelan imprisoned? Whelan's own defence lawyer once hinted at that possibility. 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. At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. MILITARY JUSTICE QUICK GUIDE. ", Whelan breezily told his parents after one Facetime chat with the Russian. But the same is presumably true in reverse. 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. True. The US has said repeatedly the two men were convicted in open and fair trials. Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. 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. [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. 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. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. The appropriate social media access links are given below. ((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).) If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. 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. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. His attorney, Vladimir Zherebenkov, has said his client unwittingly received a flash drive containing state secrets while visiting Russia for a wedding in 2018. 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. [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. https://jag.navylive.dodlive.mil/Portals/58/Mil_Jus_Quick_Guide.pdf. So when Whelan's plight became public, there was speculation that he could be the human collateral.
