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Russian Arms Dealer's Associate Finds The Pen Mightier Than The AK-47 In Jail
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 11, 2012
Modified Apr 11, 2012
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DEA
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 11, 2012
Modified Apr 11, 2012
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Former Soviet Air Force officer and Nicolas Cage character Viktor Bout was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison for arms trafficking, which gives him even more time to catch up on his reading. A "former associate" of Bout's, Andrew Smulian, who turned him in to the DEA spoke with the Post, and has read over 400 books during his two years in solitary confinement, submitting the list to persuade the court to credit him for time served. The list includes Moby Dick and The Brothers Karamazov, so presumably he was trying to change his personality from a Dmitri to an Ivan*.
Other works included the Bible, the Koran, the teachings of the Dalai Lama, and a book on "stress management." Smulian also studied Latin and Hebrew, and is about to embark on Greek. No word on whether he's tackled The Bet.
*Your editor regrets this Brothers Karamazov joke. He didn't mean to be such a Svidrigaïlov.
Tagged
arms dealer
crime
russia
russian literature
viktor bout
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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