Report: Russian Spy Posed as Student in D.C.

The Justice Department recently filed a federal indictment against a man who allegedly posed as a Brazilian student at Johns Hopkins University while working as a Russian spy, The Washington Post reported.

According to the State Department, CIA, and allied intelligence agencies, a Russian intelligence operative named Sergey Cherkasov posed as a Brazilian student under the name Victor Muller Ferreira and gained admission to Johns Hopkins University as a graduate student in 2018. 

Cherkasov then spent two years in Washington, D.C., where he reported to his superiors about the response of senior federal officials to Russia’s military buildup before the invasion of Ukraine, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by the Post.

Cherkasov was arrested last April in Brazil. Authorities report that significant evidence was discovered on his computer and other electronic devices, including communications with his superiors in Russia, records of illegal money transfers, and an error-filled personal history for his fake identity.

Russia has denied the allegations that Cherkasov was working as a spy, claiming that he was instead a third identity who is said to be a wanted heroin trafficker.

Cherkasov’s attorney denied the Post’s request for comment, saying that his client “doesn’t want to talk with any journalists.”