Maria Butina, the 30-year-old Russian woman who pleaded guilty last year to working as a foreign agent, will be sentenced April 26.
Butina, 30, faces up to five years in prison but could receive zero to six months as part of her plea deal. Prosecutors have outlined how she tried to insinuate herself with members of the National Rifle Association.
She pleaded guilty in December to failing to register as a Russian agent with the Justice Department while she attempted to infiltrate conservative American political circles and influence U.S. relations with Russia. She admitted she acted at the direction of Alexander Torshin, a Russian former government official,
The former American University student was arrested in July and has been in custody ever since. She will likely be deported to Russia after she completes her prison sentence. Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, said he hopes Butina will receive credit for the time she has already been behind bars and be released.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team reportedly interviewed Butina during its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Butina’s American boyfriend and Republican fundraiser, Paul Erickson, was indicted last month in South Dakota on wire fraud and money laundering charges.
