Butina Deportation From US 'Inevitable' In Wake Of Guilty Plea - Legal Adviser
Fakhir Rizvi Published December 15, 2018 | 06:42 AM
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th December, 2018) Russian national Maria Butina's deportation from the United States is practically inevitable after pleading guilty to acting as a foreign agent, National Capital Legal Services founder and attorney Elizabeth Krukova told Sputnik.
On Thursday, Butina pleaded guilty in front of a US Federal judge to one count of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the courthouse.
"With an aggravated felony conviction, she would face inevitable deportation, with no waiver available to her," Krukova, who is not involved as a lawyer in the case, said on Friday. "Butina's chances to stay in the US are very slim."
Butina's next hearing is set for February 12 to discuss a sentencing date. She faces up to five years in US prison and a $250,000 fine. US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan during Thursday's hearing said other US federal agencies would ultimately decide if Butina will be deported.
Krukova, an immigration specialist, added that once in US custody any person theoretically can apply for a bond but it is rare to obtain one in these types of situations unless a strong case is made.
"Only the person with clear probability of winning his or her case with [US] immigration is eligible for bond," she said.
"This is not Butina's case."
Even if the court decides not to extend Butina's sentence, the lawyer explained, she will likely remain in the hands of US authorities of some type until she is deported.
"She would just pass... from criminal custody to immigration custody," Krukova said. "From one jail to another."
US authorities arrested Butina in mid-July. Butina previously pleaded "not guilty" to charges of acting as a foreign agent and conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation in the United States. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the charges against Butina were groundless and trumped-up and called her ongoing detention unacceptable.
According to the plea document, Butina agreed to plead guilty to count 1 in the indictment charging her with conspiracy to violate 18 US Code 951, which forbids acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the US Attorney General, in conjunction with 18 US Code 371 which makes it illegal to commit any offense against the United States and/or make any attempt to defraud the United States.
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