A lovesick woman from Brooklyn, Noma Zarubina, has admitted to lying to federal agents after sending flirtatious messages to an FBI officer. The 35-year-old, with bleached blonde hair, was first arrested in November 2024 on allegations regarding her connections with a Kremlin spy, but was released on bail. However, she was later re-incarcerated in December when her flirty late-night texts came to light.
In one notably odd message sent at 4:17 a.m., she texted the agent, “Get me, baby,” while admitting to being “really terrible” and drinking heavily. Despite being cautioned not to reach out anymore, she persisted, bombarding the agent with 65 messages in one night, where she expressed her affections along with phrases like “I love you.”
Interestingly, she mentioned Maria Butina, another Russian agent previously jailed for trying to influence conservative politics in the U.S., saying, “I think Butina got more attention.”
Zarubina, who previously lived in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, also sent the FBI images of herself in a cowboy hat while drinking wine, captioning it with a casual “Hmm.” During a summer 2024 meeting with the FBI, she confessed to working for the Kremlin under the alias “Alissa” since December 2020, as stated in a federal complaint.
Her handlers tasked her with networking within Washington, D.C.’s think tanks, military officials, and journalists, and sought ways to invite some of her contacts to Russia to influence them.
In the past, Dmitry Valyov, leader of a Russia-based organization, flagged her as someone suspicious, mentioning she was under scrutiny for her involvement with questionable Russian non-profits. The FBI’s interest in Zarubina began during investigations into her close friend, Elena Brunson, who was indicted in 2022 for Russian influence activities but has since fled to Moscow.
Zarubina originally denied connections with Russian agents during various interviews between 2021 and 2023, but later acknowledged her ties after a reputed intelligence officer revealed the truth during a meeting in mid-2024. She indicated she felt a “connection” with the FBI agent, stating, “I don’t know how to explain it, but my life has changed so much since I met him.”
During court appearances, she maintained she was not a spy, though she admitted to contacting espionage agents. “My life now seems like a tragedy because I receive threats almost every day from people who believe I was a spy but don’t know the full story,” she explained.
After considering her case, Judge Laura Swain ruled that she violated the conditions of her bail by continuing to drink and contact the agent, issuing a warning about her behavior. “Your struggles are heard, yet you are not helping yourself by this conduct,” the judge remarked.
In addition, federal charges have emerged against Zarubina for being involved in a prostitution scheme at a massage parlor in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She pleaded guilty to two counts of lying to the FBI regarding her spy contacts and to immigration officials about her involvement in prostitution. She faces up to ten years in prison, with a sentencing date set for June 11. Her public defenders mentioned in court that she has been caring for her young daughter while residing in Brooklyn and that she is now facing deportation.
