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WNBA Superstar Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Cannabis Charge in Russia

HeadlineJul 08, 2022

In Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to charges that could bring her up to 10 years in prison, after officials found less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage as she passed through customs at a Moscow airport in February. Griner’s Russian lawyer spoke to reporters outside a Moscow-area courthouse Thursday.

Marina Blagovolina: “Our defendant has pleaded guilty. She drew the court’s attention to the fact that she did what she did inadvertently, without intent.”

Griner’s guilty plea added to speculation that the U.S. may be negotiating her release as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.

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