US - Russian Spy Ring Suspects Busted! 10 Alleged Secret Agents Arrested

New Posts

Liz

Liz

I am not a chemist and this is not my 1st rodeo
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
Messages
25,444
Reaction score
4
Russian Spy Ring Suspects Busted! 10 Alleged Secret Agents Arrested in U.S.

The allegations are shocking: four couples living in the U.S. under assumed false identities while secretly working as covert Russian spies on long-term, "deep-cover" assignments to obtain information on nuclear weapons.

They are part of a clandestine network that used a series of cold war tactics such as encrypted Morse code messages, brush passes and invisible writing to send intelligence back to the Russian government, the FBI said today as it announced the results of a multi-year investigation into the alleged spy ring.

Charged are Richard and Cynthia Murphy of New Jersey, Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley of Boston, Massachusetts, Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills of Arlington, Virginia, and Juan Lazaro and Vicky Pelaez of Yonkers, New York.

More at link & video:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/russian-spy-ring-10-accused-russian-spies-arrested/story?id=11037360
 
I guess I'm naive but I really didn't think this went on between Russia and the US anymore. Brings back memories of the Falcon and the Snowman.
 
lizzybeth said:
I guess I'm naive but I really didn't think this went on between Russia and the US anymore. Brings back memories of the Falcon and the Snowman.
Click to expand...

You're not the only one, lizzybeth!


Here's another snippet from another story:

Moscow, meanwhile, has called the arrests of the alleged secret agents "baseless and improper."

"We do not understand what prompted the U.S. Justice Department to make a public statement in the spirit of Cold War espionage," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...n_cyprus_moscow_calls_spy_claims_baseles.html

Alleged spy, Anna Chapman, pictured there, is young and very pretty!
 
Yes, she is beautiful. Had a business worth 2 million also. Just curious but would being that beautiful be an asset when involved in espionage? It might help in acquiring information from men but it would also make your face unforgettable. I would think you would want to sort of blend.
 
lizzybeth said:
Yes, she is beautiful. Had a business worth 2 million also. Just curious but would being that beautiful be an asset when involved in espionage? It might help in acquiring information from men but it would also make your face unforgettable. I would think you would want to sort of blend.
Click to expand...

As far as I can understand now, she is accused of trying to provide someone with a false passport (and even that was a set up by the FBI). This whole story right now sounds like a massive exaggeration to me. If these people did not work in positions which would have allowed them access to some classified information, what could they have possibly found out that was so super secret?
 
lizzybeth said:
Yes, she is beautiful. Had a business worth 2 million also. Just curious but would being that beautiful be an asset when involved in espionage? It might help in acquiring information from men but it would also make your face unforgettable. I would think you would want to sort of blend.
Click to expand...

On line real estate business. Which in New York would be what, a couple of apartments worth?
 
Liz said:
Fox News just reported that this 11th suspect was arrested, but according to the article, he's been released on bail. (That doesn't seem too smart.)

Snippet:
Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, was arrested at Cyprus's Larnaca airport as he tried to leave the island for Budapest early on Tuesday, Reuters reported, and then released on $24,410 bail.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/29/cyprus-police-arrest-suspect-alleged-russian-spy-ring/
Click to expand...

I'm sure they're monitoring him. At least I hope so.
 
Steely Dan said:
I'm sure they're monitoring him. At least I hope so.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you'd think and hope so, wouldn't you? However, it was just reported on Fox News that this guy who was released on bail is now missing. :shakehead:
 
Interesting stuff.. I'm surprised more people aren't discussing this.
 
Apparently they have a confession from one of the accused:


The suspect known as Juan Lazaro made a "lengthy post-arrest statement on June 27," according to a bail letter provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

He allegedly told federal agents that he was not born in Uruguay, that "Juan Lazaro" is not his real name, that his house in Yonkers, New York, had been "paid for by the 'Service' and, although he loved his son, he would not violate his loyalty to the 'Service' even for his son," he said after he waived his Miranda rights, prosecutors say.

The document also says Lazaro, who is married to co-defendant Vicky Pelaez, told agents she delivered letters to the "Service" on his behalf, and that he refused to provide his real name to prosecutors.


more at link

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/russian.spies.hearing.delayed/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
 
Bizarre story. It seems most of these people just settled here and then created very American lives with property ownership, pool parties, etc. They had children who think of themselves as Americans. I didn't read the complaints but from the newspaper, it doesn't seem these people even gathered any usable intelligence for Russia. Makes no sense. I kind of feel these people had the benefit of a Russian-subsidized life in the states at the same time they pursued the American dream and reaped the benefit of being able to make money here through legitimate means as well. Were they just inept spies or were they using their government or, did they actually gain real intelligence. What's going to happen to their poor kids? I feel naive too. I though Russia had evolved from their totalitarian, cold war ideology. Guess not.
 
gitana1 said:
Bizarre story. It seems most of these people just settled here and then created very American lives with property ownership, pool parties, etc. They had children who think of themselves as Americans. I didn't read the complaints but from the newspaper, it doesn't seem these people even gathered any usable intelligence for Russia. Makes no sense. I kind of feel these people had the benefit of a Russian-subsidized life in the states at the same time they pursued the American dream and reaped the benefit of being able to make money here through legitimate means as well. Were they just inept spies or were they using their government or, did they actually gain real intelligence. What's going to happen to their poor kids? I feel naive too. I though Russia had evolved from their totalitarian, cold war ideology. Guess not.
Click to expand...

On an NPR show it was pointed out that all of the info gathering activity was within the legitimate bounds of their chosen professions etc, and that this could lead to russia and others detaining our journalists, academics etc under the same types of vague laws in response - not good.
 
SkewedView said:
On an NPR show it was pointed out that all of the info gathering activity was within the legitimate bounds of their chosen professions etc, and that this could lead to russia and others detaining our journalists, academics etc under the same types of vague laws in response - not good.
Click to expand...

I'd say. What exactly were they supposed to have found out that would be so secret and illegal? They aren't alleged to have worked somewhere they had access to secret information as far as I can tell. Then one guy supposedly confesses to being an agent, but refuses to tell what his actually name is. So why is confessing in the first place? They were supposed to have been infiltrating suburbs? What in the world could you spy on by infiltrating the suburb? The whole thing is bizarre.
 
Ex-husband: Alleged spy 'secretive,' dad 'scary'
Report: Suspect said her father was 'high up in the ranks of the KGB'

NEW YORK — The ex-husband of alleged Russian spy Anna Chapman said her arrest "didn’t come as much of a surprise," Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Alex Chapman, 30, said he had been interviewed by Britain's MI5 intelligence service after his ex-wife was accused of being a Russian agent by U.S. authorities earlier this week.

He said that his former spouse told him that her father had been "high up in the ranks of the KGB," the newspaper reported.
Click to expand...

'Conspiracy'

Farbiarz warned that a powerful and sophisticated network of U.S.-based Russian agents was eager to help defendants in the spy ring flee the country if they were released on bail.

"There are a lot of Russian government officials in the United States who are actively assisting this conspiracy," he said.
Click to expand...

More at link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38053329/ns/us_news-security/?GT1=43001
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Members online

... and 96 more.
Total: 1,174 (members: 97, guests: 1,077)

Online statistics

Members online
97
Guests online
1,077
Total visitors
1,174
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
591,783
Messages
17,958,798
Members
228,606
Latest member
wdavewong
Back
Top