In this courtroom sketch, defendant Alexander Smirnov speaks in Federal court in Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 2024. (William T. Robles via AP)

FILE - Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, left, walks out of his lawyer's office in downtown Las Vegas after being released from federal custody Feb. 20, 2024. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)