Who Is Viktor Bout? Russian Dealer in Griner Swap Was Being Held at Illinois Facility – NBC Chicago

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, widely known as the “Merchant of Death,” was serving time at an Illinois facility before he became part of a prisoner swap with Russia in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, officials announced Thursday.

Bout is widely known abroad for having fueled some of the world’s worst conflicts. In Russia, however, he’s seen as a swashbuckling businessman who was unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive U.S. sting operation.

Bout was being held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois, and was not scheduled to be released until 2029.

The 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War” was loosely based on Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who gained fame supposedly by supplying weapons for civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa. His clients were said to include Liberia’s Charles Taylor, longtime…