U.S. court documents indicate a Russian citizen accused of spying will register a plea Friday, ahead of his federal trial next month.
Evgeny Buryakov is accused of posing as an employee of a Russian bank in New York City to gain information for Moscow's foreign intelligence agency, known as the SVR.
Prosecutors' documents indicate Buryakov could register a plea of guilty or not guilty on Friday. He is set to face trial in federal court in Manhattan on April 4.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Buryakov's arrest in January 2015, after he held multiple secret meetings with an undercover FBI agent that Buryakov believed to be an energy company analyst.
Prosecutors say he conspired with two other Russian men to gather U.S. economic intelligence, including details about U.S. sanctions against Moscow. He is also accused of trying to recruit New York residents as intelligence contacts.