Russian agent Maria Butina, who infiltrated the NRA, sentenced to 18 months
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.
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.
More to Read
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.