[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] - US Marine veteran Paul Whelan has been indicted by Russia for alleged spying
- He now faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the espionage charges
- Whelan was arrested on December 28 at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow
- Russian media says he was detained because he received a database of employees of a 'secret' Russian agency
- Experts on the Kremlin have speculated that Whelan's arrest was bogus, and an attempt to create leverage against America in the case of Russian Maria Butina
Mysterious tale of Paul Whelan, American man accused of spying in Russia, steeped in contradictions
[USAToday] He traveled the world for business and for pleasure; that much is known about Paul N. Whelan, the Novi man the Russian government alleges was spying in Moscow when it arrested him Friday. The Russian Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, said Whelan, 48, was detained "while on a spy mission" and notified the State Department on Monday that it was holding him. He is being held in the Lefortovo Detention Facility in Moscow.
The FSB offered no other details. If he's convicted of espionage, Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison.
So how does an ex-Marine, who is allegedly visiting Russia to help a friend, get picked up as a spy? It's a case that has birthed countless theories and speculation not only about Paul Whelan, but also about America's complex relationship with Russia.
Source: INTELLI.NEWS