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Spy Stuff: Possible Plea Deals, Spy Swap Rumors
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 7, 2010
Modified Jul 7, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 7, 2010
Modified Jul 7, 2010
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Could the Russian spy saga—which was only starting to offer topless pictures and admissions of, yes, being spies— come to a boring end? Well, the NY Times suggests that could very well be: "The federal government is in talks with lawyers for the defendants about a broad and rapid resolution to the case, according to people who have been briefed on the discussions. The proposed resolution could allow all the defendants to plead guilty to fewer charges or charges carrying lesser penalties or even time served, and it could result in deportations or agreements that allow them to return to Russia."
Additionally, the "proposed resolution could lead to a series of relatively quick guilty pleas, allowing the defendants to receive some kind of legal benefit and the government to avoid a series of protracted trials." And maybe burger diplomacy wins out after all!!
However, the possibly exciting part of this intrigue is that the spies might be going back to Russia in a spy swap. According to the AP, "Igor Sutyagin was told by Russian officials that he and other convicted spies are to be exchanged for the 10 Russians arrested by the FBI last month, his brother said. U.S. officials were also at the meeting held Monday at a prison in Arkhangelsk, in northwestern Russia, his brother said." Sutyagin was arrested in 1999 and convicted five years later of "passing information on nuclear submarines and missile-warning systems to a British company that investigators claimed was a CIA cover."
Tagged
intrigue
russia
spies
spy swap
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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