paul whelan bad conduct discharge

Britains Press Association said Whelans U.K. citizenship was reported by the U.S. embassy to British officials on Thursday. Is he an ex-marine officer? "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. For his crimes, he was ultimately discharged from the Marine Corps for bad conduct, a ruling he unsuccessfully attempted to appeal. 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. [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. He held the rank of staff sergeant with Marine Air Control Group 38 working as an administrative clerk and administrative chief, and he was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. When Whelan was arrested, the FSB found a USB drive in his pocket containing the classified information it alleges he had requested. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. "In reality, they abducted Mr Bean on holiday.". The case was immediately big news that grew further when it emerged that Whelan was a citizen of four countries. At a news conference on Thursday, President Biden said that the US government will "never give up" on securing Mr Whelan's release. Russia has angrily denied involvement in the poisonings. New details have emerged about the military history Novi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. "Factbox: Paul Whelan, Ex-U.S. Marine Jailed in Russia on Spying Charges." He is currently facingChargesof16 years imprisonmentunder the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. 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. "Trust is the most important thing when you are out there, living on the edge.". 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". [28][29] On December 20, 2018, when discussing Butina's arrest, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia "will not arrest innocent people simply to exchange them". Whelans last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. "That person was an FSB officer. The image was of the headquarters of Russia's notorious security services, now known as the FSB. Sharing pictures of the visit, he said he had a "quite enjoyable time" exploring the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. 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. New details have emerged about the military historyNovi businessman Paul Whelan, who has been accused of spying in Russia. 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. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. Russian authorities claim the 48-year-old American, who is being held in Lefortovo Prison, was working as a spy. 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.". The independent Latvian-based publication Meduza reported that the wedding attendees all banded close together for the duration of the holiday, and were taken aback by Whelan's decision to spend the day alone. 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. [14], On December 28, 2018, Whelan was arrested in the Moscow area by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which later confirmed his arrest. "The FSB thing wasn't a big deal, until he was entrapped.". Paul N. Whelan, adjutant, Marine Air Control Group 38 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), pictured before the Kremlin in 2007. On 15 June, it took the chief judge just 1 minute 20 seconds to reach the key words in his verdict. In Frode Berg's case, the Norwegian government stayed quiet. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. His website describes his "respect and admiration" for three Naval Academy graduates who'd just joined the Marines. True. Paul Whelan was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of larceny. She was deported back to Russia in October 2019. 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. At the time, one ambassador told me the move had hit Moscow's spying capacity hard. Video, 00:01:32, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 6 Top-Notch Dental Courses Online for Beginners in 2023, What is a Token Burn? The man Whelan accuses of framing him was one of his oldest friends in Russia. Please comment. Almost 18 months later, Whelan has been convicted of spying - receiving Russian state secrets - after a short trial conducted entirely behind closed doors. "That early warning meant that our family has ben able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us," the statement added. "But it was very unusual.". Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. The Pentagon, 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. 2023 BBC. She was imprisoned in the US in December 2018 and deported back to Russia in October 2019. WebHe was sentenced to 60 days restriction, reduction to pay grade E-4, and, a bad-conduct discharge. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. 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. One replied to tell me he'd been a student and supermarket night-guard when the American first made contact. Reuters. At the time, he was identified only as an American but officials say Whelan also has British citizenship. But the space measures 9.5 square metres between two prisoners and exercise is one hour a day on the roof. "It just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. "I remember making small talk once and I said, 'You travel a lot for work, where do you travel for fun? That was a day after U.S. 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". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Russia freed Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. [19] David said the family had not known Paul had a bad conduct discharge. Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. Because Whelan received a bad conduct discharge, the claim that Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines is "True.". It was an Automobile component distributor company. Spy trials in Russia are not only heard in secret, the defence lawyers have to sign non-disclosure agreements covering the entire case. [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. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. Paul Whelan, the global security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. Whalen was reduced in rank from staff sergeant to corporal and given a bad conduct discharge from the service. So he just thought it's an opportunity to have that, so why not? You're a spy, you'll be convicted,'" Olga Karlova told me last summer. Whelan's last place of duty was Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. The surge in East-West tensions has made espionage both more complex - and more urgent - in recent years. 2023 BBC. Paul Whelan, 52, is a Marine turned corporate security executive who was convicted of espionage and is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian prison. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. "This is how FSB careers are made; people rise on the back of such cases, like mushrooms after the rain.". Paul Whelan was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia on 28th December 2018 at the Metropol Hotel room in Moscow. 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. Whelan was born on March 5, 1970,[4] in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,[5] to British parents with Irish heritage. The word "uttering" is a legal term that refers to the crime of "unlawfully passing a forged document with intent to defraud". At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. While not as severe as a dishonorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge is a significant punishment in the U.S. military justice system. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. But there's nothing glamorous about prison life in Lefortovo. He snapped a picture of his guests, "Dmitry" smiling with a glass of wine and his fork raised over a juicy steak. Also Read Wisconsin Volleyball Team Leaked Nudes Reddit: Check Links for Pictures. 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 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. Here's what this means for the future of other American hostages. "Had this been an independent court, they would have reached only one decision - not guilty," his lawyer, Vladimir Zherebyonkov said after the verdict. "The temptation is high: to rise in rank; for promotion; for more stars on your epaulettes," the lawyer says. Read about our approach to external linking. Is climate change killing Australian wine? ago. Britains foreign secretary says that Russia is trying to use him as a pawn in its geopolitical games. The detained former Marine had an interest in Russia, though. This is slimy, greasy corrupt Russian politics, nothing more, nothing less. They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [20] David said his brother entered Russia using his U.S. This undated photo provided by the Whelan family shows Paul Whelan in Iceland. He served 14 years in the Corps before he was discharged. The defence team said the Russian had requested a loan to buy a gift for his wife, as part of his trap. David Whelan, meanwhile, has dismissed the allegations as nonsense. 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. Both Ireland and the U.K. have asked that their diplomats be allowed to visit him. But he knows it took months of complex, confidential diplomacy to arrange a suitable swap for Frode Berg that eventually involved Russian agents in prison in Lithuania. Sadly, for Mr. Whelan, it appears his own adventurism made Mr Whelan, 52, was given a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying in 2018. That first day, though - in a cage, with a dozen cameras trained on him - he looked tense and spoke little. The American refused and as his time in custody was extended repeatedly, he gradually grew bolder in court. Odds are he did something wrong. So we were eligible for British and Canadian citizenship because we were born in Canada to British parents. "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. He previously identified himself as a former sheriff deputy, which He said his brother planned to return to Michigan on January 6, 2019, via Saint Petersburg. ", the American wrote back. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. He was caught for bad conduct during his marine service. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted 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 Coint, Prediction. 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 he didn't hide his interests and encounters. He had no idea his friend had been arrested. Whelan, the 48-year-old global security director for a U.S. auto parts company, was arrested Dec. 28 in Moscow. 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. governments reaction to Paul Whelans arrest. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". [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. He left the company in 2016, moving to become director of global security for US-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner. On 28 December, however, he was arrested by Russia's FSB state security agency, which claimed he had been "caught spying" in Moscow. [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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Paul Whelan's Marine discharge was larceny related - Detroit [24] According to attorneys for Whelan, they could not provide the name of Whelan's Russian friend due to Russian secrecy rules, but Whelan's family identified the person as Ilya Yatsenko, whom the Russian newspaper Kommersant described as a major in the FSB's Department "K", which monitors Russian economic crimes. [7] A former colleague said he was a patrol officer from 1998 to 2000 in the Keego Harbor police department. 2023 www.freep.com. 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. [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). Whelan, arrested Dec. 28, 2018, in a Moscow hotel, has said he thought the flash drive that he received from an acquaintance contained holiday photos. [27], Former CIA officers have stated that the CIA would not recruit an officer with Whelan's military record, nor leave an officer exposed without a diplomatic passport. Disclaimer The article shares only particular details about Paul Whelan and his conduct. Biden called those espionage allegations totally illegitimate charges., Biden said his administration has not forgotten about Paul Whelan, and promised to keep negotiating in good faith for his release., Meanwhile, Whelan said Thursday that he is greatly disappointed that the government has not done more to secure his release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. ", "He said it's beautiful and he liked the cold and he had quite a few friends there.". A Twitter post by Benny Johnson states that President Biden chose Brittney Grinner in the prisoner swap over Paul Whelan. His service ended after he was convicted at a Are you on Telegram? Perhaps Whelan enjoyed the element of danger that came from flirting with the FSB, hanging out with intelligence officers. He was formally charged on January 3, 2019. If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. 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. [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". Paul Whelan was a former marine who was given a bad conduct discharge many years prior to his arrest in Russia in 2018. Reuters, 8 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/paul-whelan-ex-us-marine-jailed-russia-spying-charges-2022-12-08/. In an interview with ABC News in November 2020, Whelan described the place as very, very old. "He seemed nice and was fascinated by our country, its history and our traditions and people!" One light remains on in the cell 24/7. They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. He's now back home after a prisoner-swap. Check Wiki to Know About Solana Valley NFT (Sep 2021) Token price & How To Buy! 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. "[12], When arrested in Russia, Whelan was director of global security and investigations for BorgWarner, an international automotive parts manufacturer based in Michigan. "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. If he's a spy, then I'm Michael Jackson!!!!" Sentenced to a high-security prison, Paul Whelan won't be leaving Lefortovo just yet. Brother of detained American speaks. 26 Aug. 2008, https://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2008/WHELAN,%20P.N.%20200800152%20PCE.pdf. Whelan received what is categorized broadly as a punitive discharge. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. It is not intended to harm neither anyone, nor does it promotes any fake information. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. He is also a serving intelligence officer. The Marine Corps released Whelans service record, showing that he was convicted in a There were even allegations that Norway was under pressure to obtain the information from its partners in Nato. Eleven years later, its officers would drive him there for interrogation. Since his arrest, the media has pored over Whelan's past, discovering a bad conduct discharge from the Marines, a Russian social media page, and multiple trips to Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Whelan on January 2, 2019, while Whelan was in Russian custody. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News on Friday that the British government is trying to help Paul Whelan. 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. 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. It was a flat, abrupt end to a spy trial that had taken just a handful of closed hearings. Administrative Discharge Status Can Affect Benefits. Paul Whelan (politician) (19432019), New South Wales state politician Paul F. Whelan, Irish academic; Paul Whelan (security director), US citizen Checkout Complete Data! 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. 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. Whelan was friends with young servicemen in the US, though, too. Whelan's family says that he he recently flew to Moscow to attend the wedding. True. Mr Whelan is a citizen of four countries - the US, Canada, the UK and the Irish Republic. Her release was secured via a prisoner exchange in which U.S. authorities released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. [47][48] His twin brother David ascribed Paul's acquisition of the multiple nationalities to "probably a genealogical interest as much as anything. What are your opinions for this swap? And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes, he said while applauding Griners release. He said the evidence was only ever examined by "incompetent and interested parties". The FSB was already dripping details of the case it would make in court. His job included campus security as well as electronic and IT-related security. Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. Russian lawyers for Whelan also lamented that their client was not included in the swap. Officers typically bide their time, he explains, calling it "calf-rearing", before a target is culled. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. "[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. He wasn't allowed a phone call home for 16 months. I dont understand why Im still sitting here.. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. 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. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Its clear that the U.S. government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. Nine months earlier, the UK had accused Russia of poisoning Sergei Skripal, a former double-agent, on the streets of Salisbury. (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 But the same is presumably true in reverse. But in 2008 Mr Whelan, who had achieved the rank of staff sergeant, was discharged from the marines for bad conduct. The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. 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. 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. At the time, there were uncorroborated reports he had been caught receiving a digital storage device containing a list of intelligence officials. Following the release of basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian captivity, US President Joe Biden faces fresh questions about another imprisoned American: former US marine 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.". And, to make matters worse, he wrongfully used another person's Social Security number to engage in unlawful activity. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. "[They'd say] things like, 'There's no hope for you, tell us the truth. Why did he face dishonorable discharge? [2][3] He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying. A year later, just days before his arrest, Mr Whelan took "Dmitry" and another man for Christmas dinner at a restaurant opposite his hotel. In addition to larceny, specifically the attempted theft of $10,410.59 of US government money, he also reportedly bounced checks to the tune of $6,000. He received a Bad Conduct Discharge as the result of a UCMJ Courts Martial. But when I asked for his side of the story, his eyes flicked towards the guards. Its unclear why Moscow officials were so eager to bring him home. Its pages document the trip with shots of tourist spots and captions laden with exclamation marks. Watching from the wooden courtroom benches, socially distanced and in medical facemasks, were the ambassadors of the US, UK and Canada. 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. He took a military leave of absence from Kelly Services, he testified, to serve in Iraq. State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". [1], U.S. 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 has studied Russian but communicated online using Google Translate. 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. 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.

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