The Justice Department announced today that 11 people have been charged with spying for Russia, 10 of whom were arrested in Manhattan, Boston; Yonkers, NY; Montclair, NJ; and Arlington, VA.
The DOJ alleges that the people were allegedly “carrying out long-term, ‘deep-cover’ assignments in the United States on behalf of the Russian Federation.” The purpose of this assignment, according to the FBI, is “to become sufficiently ‘Americanized’ such that they can gather information about the U.S. for Russia, and can successfully recruit sources who are in, or are able to infiltrate, United States policy-making circles.”
The two complaints in the case do not mention any successful efforts to get confidential or even useful information by any of the alleged agents. And in the case of one of the defendants, Anna Chapman, the FBI was able to convince her to meet with an undercover agent posing as a Russian official in Manhattan. The complaint also alleges that Chapman met with an actual though unnamed Russian government official.
Here’s the full DOJ press release, with the two full complaints that lay out the charges below. The second one is particularly worth a read.
TEN ALLEGED SECRET AGENTS ARRESTED IN THE UNITED STATESMulti-year FBI Investigation Uncovers Network in the United States Tasked with Recruiting Sources and Collecting Information for Russia
WASHINGTON - Eight individuals were arrested Sunday for allegedly carrying out long-term, “deep-cover” assignments in the United States on behalf of the Russian Federation, the Justice Department announced today. Two additional defendants were also arrested Sunday for allegedly participating in the same Russian intelligence program within the United States.
In total, 11 defendants, including the 10 arrested, are charged in two separate criminal complaints with conspiring to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation within the United States. Federal law prohibits individuals from acting as agents of foreign governments within the United States without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General. Nine of the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The defendants known as “Richard Murphy” and “Cynthia Murphy” were arrested yesterday by FBI agents at their residence in Montclair, N.J., and are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today. Vicky Pelaez and the defendant known as “Juan Lazaro” were arrested yesterday at their residence in Yonkers, N.Y., and are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today. Anna Chapman was arrested in Manhattan yesterday and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today.
The defendants known as “Michael Zottoli” and “Patricia Mills” were arrested yesterday at their residence in Arlington, Va., and are appearing in federal court in Alexandria, Va., today. Defendant Mikhail Semenko was arrested yesterday at his residence in Arlington and is appearing in federal court in Alexandria today. In addition, the defendants known as “Donald Howard Heathfield” and “Tracey Lee Ann Foley” were arrested at their residence in Boston yesterday and are appearing in federal court in Boston today. The defendant known as “Christopher R. Metsos” remains at large.
The charges are filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All the defendants are charged with this violation. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All the defendants except Chapman and Semenko are charged with this violation.
This case is the result of a multi-year investigation conducted by the FBI; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Counterespionage Section and the Office of Intelligence within the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Farbiarz, Glen Kopp and Jason Smith of the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Trial Attorneys Kathleen Kedian and Richard Scott of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaints are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Complaint in Chapman and Semenko Case
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