According to Washington Post, Paul Whelan joined the ranks of the US Marine Corps in 1994; in 2004 and 2006 he served in Iraq. He was dismissed for misbehaviour in 2008, after being convicted of several counts of larceny.
READ MORE: Family of US Citizen Detained in Moscow Claims He Travelled for Wedding — Media
The publication also notes that Whelan has been visiting Russia regularly since 2007. His friends in Russia told the newspaper that the detainee "highly appreciates" Russia and has a basic knowledge of the Russian language.
Earlier, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Paul Whelan on suspicion of espionage and launched a criminal case against him.
A representative of the US State Department confirmed that the Russian Foreign Ministry has officially notified the US of the detention of an American citizen in Moscow.