FBI Announce Charges Against Russian Spy Ring in New York City

The Spy Ring Attempted to Collect Economic Intelligence and Recruit New York City Residents as Intelligence Sources; Evgeny Buryakov, a/k/a \”Zhenya,\” Worked Under \”Non-Official Cover\” as a Bank Employee in Manhattan

Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States, Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John S. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Randall C. Coleman, the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (\”FBI\”) for the Counterintelligence Division, announced charges today against EVGENY BURYAKOV, a/k/a \”Zhenya,\” IGOR SPORYSHEV, and VICTOR PODOBNYY in connection with BURYAKOV’s service as a covert intelligence agent on behalf of the Russian Federation (\”Russia\”) in New York City, without notifying the United States Attorney General of BURYAKOV’s status as an agent of Russia, as required by federal law. BURYAKOV was placed under arrest earlier today in Bronx, New York, and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court later today. SPORYSHEV and PODOBNYY no longer reside in the United States and have not been arrested. By virtue of their prior positions in the United States on behalf of Russia, both of them were protected by diplomatic immunity from arrest and prosecution while in the United States.