US soldier Gordon Black sentenced to nearly four years in Russian penal colony: report

A US soldier detained in the Russian city of Vladivostok on charges of theft and threatening to kill his girlfriend was found guilty Wednesday and sentenced to three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony, Russian agencies said.

Gordon Black, a 34-year-old US staff sergeant who was captured May 2 in Vladivostok, in Russia's far east, pleaded not guilty Monday to threatening to kill his girlfriend but admitted he was “partially” guilty of stealing from her. .

Black's defense lawyers will appeal the verdict, the RIA news agency said, adding that the judge imposed a sentence of “three years and nine months in prison” for both charges.

The agency reported that prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of four years and eight months, while the defense asked for Black to be acquitted of all charges.

Black “partially” pleaded guilty to allegedly stealing 10,000 rubles ($113) from his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk's purse but said there was “no motive,” RIA reported.

The pair met in South Korea, where Blac was.

The Pentagon said he violated military regulations by traveling to Russia without authorization through China.

Black has a wife and children in Texas.

His wife Megan told Reuters last month that she and Vaschuk had a strained relationship.

Black's mother, Melody Jones, told Reuters that he followed his girlfriend to Russia even though they “fought like cats and dogs.”

Russia has jailed at least a dozen Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich, who will go on trial behind closed doors next week on espionage charges.

Gershkovich has denied allegations of collecting secrets for the US CIA.