Justice Department asks judge to send Maria Butina back to Russia after her sentencing [View all]

[Miles Archer]

CNN Politics
@CNNPolitics
Justice Department asks judge to send Maria Butina back to Russia after her sentencing (link: https://cnn.it/2FGtqOD) cnn.it/2FGtqOD

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/29/politics/maria-butina-justice-department-return-russia/index.html

Washington (CNN)The Justice Department has formally asked a federal judge to send Maria Butina back to Russia after she is sentenced, which is scheduled for late April.

The court documents filed Friday afternoon in advance of her sentencing acknowledge that she agrees not to return to the US for 10 years.

Butina, a 30-year-old Russian national, was arrested last July for acting as an illegal agent of the Russian government and trying to infiltrate GOP political groups as well as the National Rifle Association. In December, Butina pleaded guilty to one criminal charge of conspiracy and has been cooperating with investigators. She has been incarcerated for the more than eight months since her arrest.

The move to send her back to Russia comes as little surprise. Part of Butina's plea agreement stated that Butina was likely to be deported upon the completion of her sentence.