What Did Paul Whelan Do In Russia? U.S. Government Offers Viktor Bout In Exchange For Him

Paul Whelan was arrested in Russia for alleged espionage in December 2018. As a result, the Russian government has sentenced him to 16 years behind bars. The US government is now offering the notorious “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout, in exchange for Paul and WNBA star Brittney Griner.

In a separate incident in 2008, Paul was found guilty of bouncing checks and the attempted theft of $10,000 during a tour in Iraq. As a result, he received a bad-conduct discharge from the US Marines, and his rank was reduced to that of corporal.

Who Is Paul Whelan?

Paul Whelan is a Canadian national with American, British, and Irish citizenship currently held in Russia. He was arrested after an accusation of spying by the Russian government.

Whelan was a corporate security manager tasked with a secret mission in Russia when officials arrested him on December 28, 2018. He received a 16-year prison sentence with a possible labor camp.

The 52-year-old reportedly previously worked as a police officer in Michigan and was discharged from the US Marine Corps due to bad conduct. Whelan also holds American, British, and Irish citizenship due to his parents’ roos.

Paul was born in 1970 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and moved to the US later.  Due to the lack of diplomatic pressure from the United States on Russia, it has been nearly impossible to free Whelan from the Russian prison.

Paul Whelan Jail Sentence And Charges; Mugshot

Whelan visited Russia frequently during his time in the US Navy. He even had a Russian account on their social media app VK, equivalent to Facebook.

Though it is not exactly clear what happened on the fateful day of December 28, 2018, he was working as a director of global security for an automobile parts supplier in Novi, Michigan. However, he returned to Moscow to help his friend marry a Russian woman.

After the arrest, Paul was sentenced to 16 years in jail for espionage. Previously held at the Correctional Colony No. 18, he now spends his days in a high-security prison, IK 17. The prison, 300 miles from Moscow, is a former WWII gulag.

A mugshot of Paul Whelan carrying a pamphlet with “Sham Trial!” was released. The letter contained several short lines, such as “Meatball Surgery!, No Human Rights!, Paul’s Life Matters”, and some other lines.

Viktor Bout In Exchange For Paul Whelan?

It was reported that the US had recently offered Viktor Bout in exchange for Paul Whelan and the WNBA player Brittney Griner, whom the Federal Security Service officers had arrested in Sheremetyevo International Airport on drug charges.

In July 2022, President Joe Biden further supported the proposal and a process to bring the two US convicts from Russia to the US in exchange for the notorious “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout.

However, the Russian government decides what happens to the proposed prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.

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