Russians to hold accused spy Paul Whelan for 3 more months

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Accused U.S. spy Paul Whelan will be held in a Russian jail for another three months, attorneys told CBS News Friday.

The extension keeps him detained until his next court date on May 28. Whelan, who has U.S., British, Canadian and Irish citizenship, denies accusations that he was spying on Russia on behalf of the United States.

Whelan was detained at the end of December while he was visiting Russia for a wedding. He was arrested at a Russian hotel carrying a flash drive that allegedly contained Russian "state secrets."

Whelan's attorney Vladimir Zherebenkov said he doesn't believe the prosecution has a "smoking gun" or evidence to back up the charges.

Whelan was denied bail on Jan. 22 and then his detainment was extended, first to Feb. 28 and now to May.

Whelan's family, U.S. intelligence and State Department sources told CBS they're confident that Whelan isn't a spy. The family also said Zherebenkov was chosen for Whelan.

A representative of the U.S. Embassy in Russia visited Whelan on Thursday but provided few details.

"We are monitoring the process closely," the embassy said on Twitter. "Currently, we are unable to provide additional information for privacy reasons."

Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison on espionage charges.

He's worked for a Michigan-based auto parts company since 2017 as the global security director. He spent 14 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before being discharged for bad conduct in 2008.