Whelan’s family has said he is innocent and was in Russia to attend a friend’s wedding in Moscow. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1994 to 2008 when — the Washington Post reported — he was discharged after being found guilty of attempting to steal more than $10,000 in currency from the U.S. government while deployed in Iraq and bouncing nearly $6,000 worth of checks. Whelan now is the director of global security at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. According to his family, he has a fondness for Russia and has made several trips to the country.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 04, 2019 19:52 UTC