Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a D.C. federal court to conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent in the U.S.
The 30-year-old was accused of working to infiltrate Republican political circles and conspiring with a Russian government official to seek to “establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics,” the prosecutor said in court, according to CNN.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that in the plea deal, Butina admitted that she and her American boyfriend, Paul Erickson, conspired with a Russian government official and “knowingly engaged in conspiracy against the United States.”
Butina faces a maximum of five years in prison, after which time she will likely be deported.
This story is developing and will be updated.
