Alleged Russian spy and gun rights activist Maria Butina will plead guilty to conspiracy and has entered a plea deal with the Justice Department to assist other ongoing investigations, according to a new report.
The plea deal that is expected to be filed claims that “U.S. Person 1,” and Butina both “agreed and conspired, with a Russian government official (‘Russian Official’) and at least one other person, for Butina to act in the United States under the direction of Russian Official without prior notification to the Attorney General,” according to ABC News.
“U.S. Person 1” is Republican operative Paul Erickson, who has been romantically linked to Butina and reportedly has been notified he is a target of the investigation via federal prosecutors in Washington, ABC News reports.
Meanwhile, “Russian Official” appears to reference Aleksandr Torshin, deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank. The plea deal claims that Torshin instructed Butina “to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.”
Butina originally was arrested in July and was charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act for allegedly working as an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian government as she attended American University. She pleaded not guilty following her arrest.
She is being held in solitary confinement in a Virginia jail. Her lawyers have requested for her to be moved out of solitary confinement or be released to house arrest. No plea hearing has been scheduled yet, according to media reports.
