News and Events
- return to list ↑The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!!
- Jul 7 2010
Of the 10 people arrested Monday for allegedly spying for Russia, two were residing right here in New Jersey! They were Montclair County residents Richard and Cynthia Murphy (as they are known here). They lived with their two children on a quiet street near Montclair State University.
The Justice Department claims that eight of the individuals who were arrested on Sunday were "allegedly carrying out long-term, ‘deep-cover' assignments in the United States on behalf of the Russian Federation." The Cold War lives! Where is Dr. Strangelove when you need him?
Bail was denied to one of the now infamous Russian spies caught last week. Peruvian-born Vicky Pelaez was to have been released on $250,000 bail with electronic monitoring and home detention. Because of bail requirements, the judge said that she could not be released before this week. An appeal of this release now seems imminent.
An appeal means that a bail hearing will occur in federal court. Then a decision will be made whether or not to uphold the findings of the lower court.
Defense attorney John M. Rodriguez confirmed that a letter had been sent from the prosecuters saying they were appealing. He expects his client to remain jailed pending the outcome of a hearing schedules for Wednesday afternoon.
Pelaez is among 11 defendants charged with being part of a spy ring that prosecutors say for the past decade has engaged in secret world travel using fake passports, secret code words, aliases, invisible ink and encrypted radio.The government has opposed the release on bail of any of the defendants, saying they would flee if they had the opportunity. Defendant Christopher Metsos disappeared from the island of Cyprus soon after a judge there freed him on $32,500 bail. He had been charged by United States with supplying funds to the other members of the spy ring.
Pelaez, a prominent Spanish-language journalist, is the wife of the defendant Juan Lazaro. Prosecutors say Lazaro has admitted that his wife passed letters to the Russian intelligence service on his behalf. They say he also has admitted that the name Juan Lazaro is fake, that he wasn't born in Uruguay and that he is not a citizen of Peru. Can we believe anything this guy says? Prosecutors say he also cliams his home in Yonkers, New York, has been paid for by Russian intelligence.
