A Russian man has been accused of spying on the United States

Sergey Cherkasov, a 37-year-old Russian citizen, is suspected of spying on the United States for several years. In a statement, the US Department of Justice wrote that Cherkasov entered the country by pretending to be a Brazilian citizen.

The accusations allege that Cherkasov began his work as a spy in 2012, under the name Victor Mueller-Ferreira, which he has used to date. Initially, the 37-year-old was in Brazil, which the Americans suspected he had spied on until 2018.

Cherkasov has wonders He pretended to be a Brazilian citizen the whole time and in 2018 he was accepted into university education in the United States. During his time in the country, he was said to have been tasked with, among other things, finding out how Americans would react if Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine, according to reports. CNN.

I worked with my contacts to find out what political advisors, academics, and analysts think about Russian rearmament on the border with Ukraine. Above all, I focused on knowing the advice they gave the presidential administration, as Cherkasov was said to have written in a letter to his client, according to the channel.

Throughout his time in the United States, Cherkasov is said to have reported to the Russian intelligence service, the SVR. After building a network of contacts in the country, he left the US in the spring of 2020, but he should have served as a link between contacts in the US and SVR also in 2021 and 2022.

After the Russian Invasion, the suspected Russian spy reportedly tried to get a job at the International Criminal Court. In April 2022, he submitted a job application, still under the name Victor Müller Ferreira. After his request was denied, Cherkasov returned to Brazil where his true identity was discovered and he was arrested on suspicion of fraud.

In connection with the arrest, Cherkasov was said to have had a hard drive with fake childhood memories on him, according to court documents obtained by CNN.

“I loved watching the cars go between Rio and Niteroi, but I didn’t like the smell of fish from the port. I think that’s why I can’t eat fish – while other Brazilians like it,” one document said.

Cherkasov is currently imprisoned in Brazil. He is accused of, among other things, espionage and defrauding the US state.

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