Paul Whelan, of Novi, Mich. has been formally charged with spying by Russian investigative agencies, The Washington Post reports.Â
Whelan, 48, is a former U.S. Marine. He was arrested Friday in Moscow on suspicion of carrying out an act of espionage, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. Now he is reportedly facing formal charges. The Washington Post reports that a Russian lawyer appointed to represent Whelan said the American will remain in custody in Moscow until Feb. 28.Â
He remains in detention while his family insist he's not a spy, and his Russian friends agree. It was not Whelan's first trip to Russia, and family said he was there attending the wedding of a friend and helping American guests navigate Moscow.
Whelan was active on Russian social media site VK, similar to Facebook, and had friends who were former members of the Russian military. It's believed that that could be a reason he was flagged by Russian authorities.
Whelan spent 14 years in the Marine Corps reserve but was discharged for bad conduct in 2008. The discharge was due to attempted larceny, making a false official statement, wrongfully using another's Social Security number and writing bad checks.
Whelan disappeared from view on Dec. 28 from the upscale hotel he was staying at in Moscow for the wedding. Russian authorities confirm that's when they detained him.