Mariia Butina released from U.S. federal prison and deported to Russia

Mariia Valeryevna Butina, the Russian citizen convicted of acting as a foreign agent in the United States and sent to jail in Alexandria, Virginia, is now back in Moscow – one day after she was released from an American federal prison in Florida and deported.  The 30-year-old Butina departed from Miami International Airport on a direct flight to Moscow at approximately 6 p.m. EDT. Her brief stay in a Florida prison was basically a layover between Alexandria and Moscow.

On July 15, 2018, the FBI arrested and charged Butina with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government within the U.S. without prior notification to the Attorney General. She was indicted July 17, 2018, on that charge.

Butina, a Russian national who studied at American University in Washington, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government after she tried to infiltrate conservative political groups, including the National Rifle Association, and promote Russian interests.  ~ CNN

On April 26, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia convicted Butina, pursuant to a plea agreement, of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and issued a judicial order of removal.  Butina completed her sentence yesterday, October 25, and was deported back to Russia that same day.

Butina arrived in Moscow yesterday after spending 18 months behind bars in the United States. Initially she was looking at up to 15 years in prison. Even after pleading guilty, her charges could have sent her away for a maximum sentence of five years.  Her sentence was finally set at 18 months following her plea deal and then was even reduced slightly for good behavior while imprisoned.

(Source:  ICE)

~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter