(CNN) Political operative W. Samuel Patten, who was charged Friday with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainians, has an extensive résumé that includes ties to other individuals caught up in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and work with the controversial political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

Patten, 47, reached a plea deal with the Justice Department. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felony charge and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Patten's personal website describes him as a "strategic advisor" who has worked in politics on four continents. He has taken on numerous roles for campaigns and organizations over the last two decades, including as Eurasia director for the pro-democracy organization Freedom House in Washington, as well as a consultant for politicians in Ukraine, Georgia, Iraq and Nigeria, among other countries.

In the early to mid-2000s, Patten worked in Moscow for another pro-democracy organization, the International Republican Institute, along with Konstantin Kilimnik, who has been charged by Mueller's office with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Business records list Patten as an executive of the company Begemot Ventures International with Kilimnik in 2015, which is touted as "a strategic and political advisory firm that helps its clients win elections, strengthen political parties ... and achieve better results" on its website, which does not list any clients.

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