US Soldier Sentenced To Nearly 4 Years In Russian Prison On Theft Charges
US Army soldier Gordon Black, who was detained on suspicion of theft, appears in court in the far
An American soldier was sentenced to nearly four years in prison by a Russian court in the city of Vladivostok Wednesday on charges of theft and threats of murder, adding to a growing list of Americans serving prison time in Russia while tensions between the two countries remain high over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
KEY FACTS
According to the state-controlled TASS news agency, the court sentenced Staff Sgt. Gordon Black to three years and nine months in prison.
The court also ordered Black to compensate the victim—his Russian girlfriend—for material damages worth $117 (10,000 rubles).
Prosecutors had demanded a sentence of four year and eight months for Black, along with a fine of $466 (40,000 rubles).
TOPLINE
An American soldier was sentenced to nearly four years in prison by a Russian court in the city of Vladivostok Wednesday on charges of theft and threats of murder, adding to a growing list of Americans serving prison time in Russia while tensions between the two countries remain high over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
KEY FACTS
According to the state-controlled TASS news agency, the court sentenced Staff Sgt. Gordon Black to three years and nine months in prison.
The court also ordered Black to compensate the victim—his Russian girlfriend—for material damages worth $117 (10,000 rubles).
Prosecutors had demanded a sentence of four year and eight months for Black, along with a fine of $466 (40,000 rubles).
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KEY BACKGROUND
Black, 34, who is married, traveled to Russia last month to meet his longtime girlfriend. He was arrested in Vladivostok after his girlfriend accused him of stealing from her. According to Russian state media, an altercation broke out between the two at a friend’s apartment and Black allegedly grabbed the woman’s neck, which she considered a threat to her life. The soldier then allegedly stole $117 (10,000 rubles) from his girlfriend’s wallet and used the money to pay for a hotel room where he was detained. Last month, the U.S. soldier’s mother told NBC News that Black met the Russian woman while he was stationed in South Korea and the two had an on-and-off relationship. The woman left South Korea after the two had an altercation and moved to Russia. Army officials said Black—who was stationed in Camp Humphreys in South Korea—never sought permission to travel to Russia and was supposed to be on leave to redeploy back home to Fort Cavazos, Texas. Russian authorities had commented on Black’s arrest, saying the arrest was not linked to “politics or espionage,” but rather a “household crime.”
TANGENT
Black is the latest American imprisoned in Russia in recent years, as Moscow’s relationship with Washington has deteriorated significantly. Last year, Russian authorities arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges. Both the U.S. government and the Journal have strongly denied the allegations, noting he was a journalist on a reporting assignment and had proper credentials. The State Department has classified Gershkovich as wrongfully detained and condemned the Kremlin for “repression of independent voices”, including journalists. In December 2018, Russian authorities arrested former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan on charges of spying. In 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence following a trial in Moscow, which U.S. officials have dismissed as a sham. WNBA star Brittney Griner spent 10 months in a Russian prison on drug possession charges and was eventually freed as part of a prisoner swap.
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