Advertisement

Russian agent Maria Butina, who infiltrated the NRA, sentenced to 18 months

A booking photo shows Maria Butina, an admitted Russian agent who built a network of contacts via the National Rifle Assn. and other groups. She was sentenced for acting as an illegal foreign agent.
(AFP/Getty Images)
Share

Maria Butina, the Russian woman who admitted to being an agent for the Kremlin, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Butina has been jailed since her July 2018 arrest and will get credit for time served. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan also ordered Butina deported after she completes her sentence.

Chutkan said she was imposing the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offense and to promote deterrence.

Advertisement

Butina pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and admitted that she, at the direction of a former Russian lawmaker, infiltrated the National Rifle Assn. and other groups in an effort to influence American policy.

Butina said she was “ashamed and embarrassed” by her own actions.

Advertisement