A United States soldier has been sentenced to almost four years in a Russian penal colony after he was accused of stealing money and threatening to kill, according to Russian state media.
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was arrested in the far eastern city of Vladivostok after he had gone there, reportedly to visit a woman believed to be his girlfriend. He was arrested in the city in May on charges that he stole 10,000 rubles (roughly $112 or £93) from her on a visit to Russia in April.
The pair are understood to have met when the soldier was in South Korea, according to reports from state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS. During his hearing at the Pervomaisky District Court on Monday, Black admitted taking money from the woman. However, he denied an accusation that he threatened to kill the woman during a quarrel.
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Gordon Black denied threatening to kill the woman, who was reportedly his girlfriend (Getty Images)He was also accused of assaulting the woman. He took the money from her but transferred her $125 (£98) the next day - he told the court he spent the cash on food and three nights in a hotel. He also told the hearing that the woman had been due to collect a 10,000 ruble deposit from the landlord after the end of the lease of the apartment for which he was paying, RIA reported. His lawyer said Black will appeal the three-year and nine-month sentence handed by the court in Vladivostok.
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The sentencing comes amid a period of tense relations between the US and Russia as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on. Former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are also imprisoned in Russia, on trumped-up charges, the US State Department says.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was formally charged with espionage on April 7. Mr Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since he was arrested in March of last year.
Black's sentencing comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the US (Getty Images)Paul Whelan, 52, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2018 after the Russian state accused him of spying, his family and the US government say the claims have no basis in fact.
At the time of Black’s arrest, U.S. Army officials told The Mirror: "On May, 2, 2024, Russian authorities in Vladivostok, Russia, detained an American Soldier on charges of criminal misconduct. The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
"The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
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