Manhattan US Attorney nabs 10 in Russian spy ring

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT (S.D.N.Y.)- TEN PEOPLE are accused of executing a "long term-deep cover" operation aimed at infiltrating United States political circles for the Russian Federation, prosecutors said.

 

The arrests in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Arlington, VA were the result of a nearly 15 year investigation by authorities according to criminal complaints filed in Magistrate Court in Manhattan.

 

The ring included agents who were married with children and who lived in the United States and Canada assumed false identities were told to become "Americanized" and pass secrets to Moscow Centre, according to authorities.

 

At least three Russian government officials were connected to the conspiracy, including a "second secretary" in the Russian Mission to the United Nations, according to the complaint.

 

Eleven were charged and accused including the 10 arrested for conspiring to act as illegal agents of a foreign country within the United States, carries a 5 year sentence. Christopher R. Metsos, the 11th defendant a Canadian native is not in custody. 9 of the 10 suspects are accused of conspiracy to commit money laundering which carries a 20 year sentence.

Presentment

Five of the alleged agents appeared before Federal Magistrate Ronald L. Ellis. Richard Murphy, Cynthia Murphy, Juan Lazaro, Vicky Pelaez and Anna Chapman, 28, all plead not guilty and Judge Ellis ordered them held without bail.

 

Other named defendants were scheduled to appear in federal courts in Alexandria, Virginia and Boston, Massachusetts. 

 

Four of the five defendants who appeared in court were ordered back to court on July 1st for a detention hearing.

 

Federal Magistrate Judge Ellis appointed federal defenders for each of the defendants whose financial affidavit's indicated they were unable to attain their own attorney.

 

Bail application

Chapman, 28’s federal defender Richard Baum asked the court to throw out the conspiracy charge, claiming his Chapman didn’t violate any law by speaking with a member of a foreign government.  Baum called the government’s complaint “innocuous”.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Farbiarz said she’s a "practiced deceiver."  Farbiarz painted her as a computer sciences genius who was one of Russia’s best spies, calling her an "extraordinary agent for Russia". The United States Attorney alleges she communicated via "ad hoc" wireless networks to communicate and conspire with a Russian government agent. 

 

Farbiarz says investigators found a dumped cell phone and charger with a flurry of calls from Russia, adding the cell phone contract was signed with a false name.

 

He said this was “just the tip of the iceberg”, saying she is “a sophisticated agent of Russia.”

 

Baum explained she is a Russian native with family in Russia and an ex-husband in the United Kingdom.

Baum asked for $250,000 bond and electronic surveillance for his client, urging detainment. Judge Ellis denied the bail application saying despite her passport being in possession she has “experience with ‘legends’ or other identities [she is] trained to assume.”

 

Chapman, according to her lawyer runs an online real estate company and earns $2,000 a month.

 

The government must find probable cause or present an indictment at a preliminary hearing for Chapman on July 27th.