Representatives of the U.S. attorney’s office said yesterday, July 15, law enforcement authorities detained the citizen of the Russian Federation Maria Butina. According to preliminary information, the woman accused of espionage.
American authorities believe that she received instructions from a senior official from the Kremlin. Its main objective was infiltration into political organizations for the collection of sensitive information. In addition, the woman tried to enter the circle of trust to influential public figures, to further through them, to lobby for the interests of Russia.
According to investigators, it all happened in the period from 2015 to 2017. The official accusation is that Butina made several trips in the US, then moved there to live, having a student visa. Trying to establish contact with various politicians and organizations, she was hiding the fact that is an agent of the Russian government.
Authorities arrested Maria Butina came in 2014 to the Congress by the NRA (national rifle Association). Butina visited the Capitol and gave a present to the head of the NRA porter. Return Butinai from the United States its candidate in the OP of the Russian Federation supported the opposition leader Alexei Navalny. pic.twitter.com/he8egkoZ6B
— Alexander Janevski (@yanevsky) July 16, 2018
FBI agents investigating the case Butinai found evidence of her guilt, after analyzing the contents of a personal computer of the suspect and her phone. The investigation uncovered personal correspondence and various files that say about the direct participation of the Russians to the above-mentioned crime. Now the girl is in custody, where she awaits the first court hearing in her case is scheduled for July 18. If wine’s Botinol is proved, to it threatens till 5 years of imprisonment.
American media claim that the «secret patron» of the Russians is Alexander Torshin. Now he holds the position of Deputy Chairman of the Russian Central Bank. According to unconfirmed reports, Butina is the special assistant of the official. The girl is also the founder of the organization «Right to arms«, which advocates for the legalization in Russia of firearms.
In April 2018 Alexander Torshin came under personal sanctions of the United States. In addition, he is suspected of transferring money to the American rifle Association. Finance supposedly intended to intervene in the presidential election of 2016.
