Ivan Erwich

Ivan Erwich (also credited as Yellow Tie Man) was a Dawn Brigade separatist working for Vladimir Bierko. He was responsible for smuggling canisters of Sentox VX nerve gas out of a hangar from the Ontario Airport.

Background

Erwich was a chemical engineer trained at the University of St. Petersburg. He joined his country's separatist movement six years before the events of Day 5.

Day 5

Ivan Erwich was sent to Ontario Airport to retrieve a key card from a baggage handler named Chevensky. The key card would give Erwich access to 20 canisters of Sentox VX nerve gas, that were being stored in hangar BB. Erwich was marked with a yellow-tie, so Anton Beresch would know who to hand the key card to.

During the time Beresch and his men took the Onatario Airport hostage, they threatened to kill someone every 15 minutes if President Charles Logan didn't call off the Anti-terrorism treaty signing with Russian President Yuri Suvarov. One of Beresch's men grabbed Erwich to be executed. Beresch told him to pick someone else. Jack Bauer noticed that Erwich may have some value and then witnessed Beresch handing a key card to him.

Ivan Erwich pulls a gun on Cal.

After CTU Los Angeles successfully performed a rescue operation, Erwich managed to escape from the hostages and Bauer informed Curtis Manning about this. Erwich went to hangar BB and used the card to get the canisters of nerve gas. James Nathanson called and told Erwich he would provide transportation. Erwich and his men were able to smuggle the canisters out of the airport by using a SWAT van.

Erwich and his men moved the locations to a warehouse in Long Beach Harbor, planning to ship the canisters to Russia from there. When Erwich found out that double agent Schaeffer altered the arming codes, he realized the canisters wouldn't be able to be used. After killing Schaeffer, Erwich called Walt Cummings to learn about Walt and Nathanson's plot to double-cross the Russian separtists. Erwich warned Cummings that the US government would pay for the betrayal.

Erwich needed an alternate method to arm the canisters, and he came into contact with Jacob Rossler through a Moscow associate. Rossler provided him with the tools he needed to re-arm the canisters, but he needed the ID numbers in order to program a remote detonator. Erwich moved the canisters to an auto repair garage and forced one of the employees, Cal, to cut open the bottoms of the canisters and reveal the ID numbers

Erwich contacted Rossler with the ID numbers and set up a meeting place at a parking garage, with Erwich have no idea Rossler was taken into custody by CTU. With this being there only lead, Jack Bauer was forced to pose as Rossler and hope Erwich wouldn't be at the meeting place. After providing the trigger device to Polakov and Komar, Erwich instructed them to take Rossler with them.

With no way of knowing if the trigger device would work, Erwich instructed his men to release a canister of nerve gas at the Sunrise Hills Mall. When Jack refused to give Erwich's men the access code, they were forced to release the canister's valve manually, by opening up the trigger and splicing wires. Jack was able to kill Komar and stop the flow of gas, but not before 11 people died from exposure. When Polakov realized CTU had followed him from the mall, Erwich instructed him to commit suicide, and he complied.

After the test proved to be a success, Erwich took the remaining 19 canisters to the ring leader Vladimir Bierko. Bierko was furious for Erwich wasting a canister, as he planned on releasing the gas in Moscow. Bierko blamed Erwich for trusting the Americans, particulary Nathanson and Cummings, and he fatally stabbed him.

Memorable quotes

• Ivan Erwich: The Russians will learn the consequences of invading our homeland when we turn Moscow into a graveyard.

• Ivan Erwich: I don't negotiate with my enemies, I eliminate them. Your country is about to pay a very steep price for betraying us.

• Vladimir Bierko: I spent a year securing the weapon that would bring Moscow to its knees, and you waste it.
• Ivan Erwich: We were betrayed, Bierko. Someone must pay.
• Vladimir Bierko: I agree. (He stabs Erwich, then holds onto Erwich’s neck as he slowly dies.)

Appearances

Day 5

Prequel
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