Russian Agent Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Register as Foreign Agent and Conspiracy to Infiltrate Political Groups

Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organization in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalizing the possession of handguns in Moscow, Russia on April 21, 2013. AP Photo

A federal judge in Washington sentenced admitted Russian agent Maria Butina to 18 months in prison on Friday, April 26.

The Russian citizen expressed remorse for failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring with a foreign official to influence American political organizations. Maria Butina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to act as a Russian agent in the U.S. without registering with the Justice Department, facing up to 5 years in prison.