The former US Marine - who also has British, Irish and Canadian citizenship - has always insisted on his innocence, and in court this week he described himself the victim of "greasy, slimy Russian politics". At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. Paul Whelan received a 'bad conduct discharge' from the Marines in 2008. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Is he an ex-marine officer? 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. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. 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. [40] As of December 2020[update] he was held in a high-security prison, IK-17, eight hours drive southeast of Moscow. Ivan Pavlov believes Whelan's claim he was framed is "always possible" with FSB intelligence officers. If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. WebPaul Whelan may refer to: . "If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance," he added. "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. [42] On July 27, 2022, it was announced that President Joe Biden had offered a trade for Whelan and WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was arrested in Russia in February on drug charges, in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed "The Merchant of Death". [2][3] He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying. He'll need to buy things like razors, toilet paper, soap, things that would be on-hand anywhere else. Paul Whelan still wondering why he was left behind in Russia, Whelan's own defence lawyer once hinted at that possibility. Accused spy Paul Whelan was discharged from Marines for bad [8], He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1994. The appropriate social media access links are given below. And then, the Irish changed the law in the early part of the century to allow grandchildren of Irish citizens to get Irish citizenship. [23], According to Whelan, his long-time friend had appeared unexpectedly in the hotel, followed by authorities, who later arrested him. 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. 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. Why was Griner detained? He served 14 years in the Reuters, 8 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/paul-whelan-ex-us-marine-jailed-russia-spying-charges-2022-12-08/. The US has said repeatedly the two men were convicted in open and fair trials. This article will convey all the necessary information on Paul Whelan. Sharing pictures of the visit, he said he had a "quite enjoyable time" exploring the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. The Russian government declared Paul Whelan guilty long ago. Paul Whelan received a punitive discharge from the Marines. The US government speculated the return of Paul Whelan for Maria Butina from Russia, a gun activist. According to various reports, Paul Whelan served the Kelly services company after his dishonorable discharge and got a promotion in 2010. At the time, he was identified only as an American. Was Paul Whelan given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marines? In Frode Berg's case, the Norwegian government stayed quiet. But Whelan chatted openly to relatives on email about his friend, including which "FSB school" he'd attended. It is in this context that the nature of Whelan's discharge from the Marines received renewed attention. David Whelan comments on his brother's arrest by Russian authorities. Whelan was arrested in Moscow last week. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Paul Whelan He's someone I've known for ten years," he revealed for the first time. 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. Evidence shows that he was caught with a flash drive that contained highly classified information. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. 2023 BBC. Odds are he did something wrong. Are you on Telegram? Was Paul Whelan Punitively Discharged 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. And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge: What Charges Made To The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Quite dilapidated. The former Marine said he was living in quite crowded spaces and estimated that his building housed 50 to 60 people. "Nothing's translated, Your Honour," the 50-year-old protested, sending an interpreter scurrying over to explain his fate. "It just wouldn't happen," Fayhee believes. 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. "[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. "Had this been an independent court, they would have reached only one decision - not guilty," his lawyer, Vladimir Zherebyonkov said after the verdict. 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. Paul Whelan He has no apparent link to the military himself and joked to me via VK that the American "didn't request to see anything suspicious :))". Whelan also worked as a Chelsea police officer from 1988-2000 as well as for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, hetestified in a2013 court deposition. He was flanked by FSB guards, faces covered so they couldn't be identified. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. "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. snopes.com on Twitter: " True. Paul Whelan received a "bad So when Whelan's plight became public, there was speculation that he could be the human collateral. During his imprisonment, Whelan has been working in a clothing factory, which he called a sweatshop in a 2021 interview with CNN. True. [25], Whelan was being held in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes. To be correct, the Marines did not give Paul Whelan a Dishonorable Discharge. State TV crews, hovering for their shots in the hallway, were already referring to the accused man as "the American spy". 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. Is climate change killing Australian wine? He was caught for bad conduct during his marine service. In 2008, Paul was discharged from the Marines for his Bad Conduct. Paul Whelan 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. Paul Whelan's early life and the possibility of congressional intervention, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Russian authorities alleged he possessed a computer flash drive containing classified information. And he didn't hide his interests and encounters. 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. Paul Whelan, the global security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. 18 under supervision of the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service. The convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged.2 We have 6 Top-Notch Dental Courses Online for Beginners in 2023, What is a Token Burn? "That person was an FSB officer. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. Whelan then spent over a decade working as a corporate security expert. [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. Speaking in the White House Oval Office as he announced Ms Griner's release, Mr Biden said that "sadly and for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's". He received a Bad Conduct Discharge as the result of a UCMJ Courts Martial. Such a punishment generally disqualifies a former Marine from receiving Veterans Affairs benefits. 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 Administrative Discharge Status Can Affect Benefits. 2023 www.freep.com. The below table shows the required personal life details of Paul Whelan. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. 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. 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. That was a day after U.S. "I will be with guys from the FSB, so should be okay! 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. "I don't know if it was machismo; to show off," Fietsam said. Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. He is currently facingChargesof16 years imprisonmentunder the IK-17 penal colony of the Mordovia region, located in east Moscow. Whelan also worked as a Chelsea police officer from 1988-2000 as well as for the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Department, he testified in a 2013 court deposition. In early 2019, the drama of his now multi-national arrest was developing against a hostile political backdrop, with mutual sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and East-West tension not felt since Soviet times. (Courtesy of the Whelan Family via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He wondered whether some comment, or joke might have been disastrously misconstrued. 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. In Whelan's case, there's the added nuance that his defence team were appointed and paid for by the Russian state. The Russian investigators state that Paul Whelan is a spy working for military intelligence and holding the rank of Colonel or any higher post. 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. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? 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.