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Alleged Russian Spy Confesses, Pledges His Loyalty to Russian Federation

By DNAinfo Staff on July 1, 2010 9:43pm  | Updated on July 2, 2010 6:07am

By Shayna Jacobs

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN FEDERAL COURT — One of the alleged Russian spies being tried in Manhattan admitted to working for the Russian intelligence agency with his wife, a Spanish-language journalist, prosecutors said Thursday.

The alleged spy, known as "Juan Lazaro," made the confession to investigators after his arrest Sunday, prosecutors said. He professed his allegiance to the Russian Federation, claiming he would not "violate his loyalty to the 'service' even for his son," according to court documents.

His wife, El Diario columnist Vicky Pelaez, 55, was released on bail. The couple are two of 11 suspects being charged as suspected Russian spies operating in and around Manhattan.

Vicky Pelaez's sons Juan Jose Lazaro, 17, and Waldo Mariscal, 38.
Vicky Pelaez's sons Juan Jose Lazaro, 17, and Waldo Mariscal, 38.
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DNAinfo/Josh Williams

"My name is not Juan Lazaro," prosecutor Michael Farbiarz said the confessed spy told investigators. But he refused to give his real name.

His wife, Pelaez, is the only one of the five alleged spies being tried in New York whose true identity is known. Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis consented to Pelaez's release to home confinement on a $250,000 bond and $10,000 cash bail.

"Lazaro" appeared in court briefly Thursday but agreed to waive his bail hearing to a later date.

Two of their co-conspirators, who have been living as Richard and Cynthia Murphy, 39 and 35 respectively, were ordered held without bail at the same two-hour hearing.

Prosecutors said Cynthia Murphy attended graduate school at Columbia, gathering information about classmates that she fed to the Russian Federation. Richard Murphy cared for their two daughters and maintained the illusion of a normal family life.

Ellis would not release either of them on the basis that they have traveled extensively and on a secret basis, using pseudonyms. 

"What this court has concluded is that in order to have confidence in a person's appearance you have to know who a person is," the judge said.

"The court came to the conclusion that it just doesn't know who these defendants are."

Palaez did not immediately walk out of the courthouse. She is likely leave federal custody on Tuesday after her bail is posted and other arrangements are made, sources said.