Russia sentences Paul Whelan, US Marine veteran accused of espionage, to 16 years in prison Russia sentenced Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, to 16 years in a high-security prison on Monday. Whelan was arrested in Moscow in late December 2018 and accused of being on a "spy mission." He had been in town to attend a wedding. Moscow said Whelan was caught with a USB drive containing state secrets. Whelan said the drive was planted in his hotel room. His arrest was believed to be tied to the US prosecution of Maria Butina, the Russian agent who infiltrated the National Rifle Association. According to The Washington Post, Whelan on Monday shouted in the court room that the case was a "political charade" and that Russia was "impotent." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Paul Whelan, the former US Marine accused of espionage, has been sentenced to 16 years in a high-security Russian prison. A judge in Moscow handed down the sentence on Monday. Whelan, 50, was arrested in a luxury Moscow hotel in late December 2018, and formally charged with espionage a week later.