A Russian arms dealer labeled the “Merchant of Death” was released from a U.S. prison Thursday in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner. Who is Viktor Bout?
Viktor Bout, 55, had served 11 years of his 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges for selling arms to Colombian rebels, which prosecutors said were intended to kill Americans.
He was taken into custody at a Bangkok luxury hotel after conversations with the Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation’s informants who posed as officials of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC. The group had been classified by Washington as a narco-terrorist group.
In April 2012, Shira A. Scheindlin, the former New York City federal judge who sentenced Bout before returning to private law practice, imposed the mandatory minimum 25-year sentence, but said she did so only because it was required. Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, saying he’s a legitimate businessman and didn’t sell weapons. He’s had plenty of support from high-level Russian officials since he was first arrested. A Russian parliament member testified when Bout was fighting extradition from Thailand to the U.S.
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