Russian banker accused by U.S. of spy role gets 2-1/2 years prison

NEW YORK, May 25 (Reuters) - A Russian banker whom U.S. prosecutors say was involved with a Cold War-era spy ring operating in New York City that sought to collect economic and other intelligence was sentenced to 2-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday. Evgeny Buryakov, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan after pleading guilty in March to having conspired to act improperly as an agent for the Russian government. Buryakov had worked at Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank. He was arrested in January 2015 as U.S. authorities unveiled charges against him and two other Russians, Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy.