An American soldier was convicted of theft in Russia and sentenced to nearly 4 years in jail

Moscow (AFP) – A court docket within the far japanese Russian metropolis of Vladivostok on Wednesday convicted a visiting American soldier of theft and threatening to kill, and sentenced him to 3 years and 9 months in jail.

Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, flew to the Pacific coastal metropolis to see his girlfriend and was arrested final month after she accused him of stealing from her, based on American officers and Russian authorities.

A decide on the Pervomaisky District Courtroom in Vladivostok additionally ordered Black to pay 10,000 rubles ($115) in compensation, Russian state information companies TASS and RIA Novosti reported. The prosecution had demanded a jail sentence of 4 years and eight months.

Black’s sentencing additional complicates US-Russian relations, which have grow to be more and more tense as preventing in Ukraine continues.

Russia He imprisoned plenty of Individualstogether with the CEO of Company Safety Paul Whelan and Wall Road Journal correspondent Ivan Gershkovich. The US authorities has categorized each males as unjustly detained and is making an attempt to barter their launch.

Among the many different detainees Travis LakeHe’s a musician who has lived in Russia for years and was arrested final 12 months on drug fees; Mark Vogel, a trainer in Moscow, was sentenced to 14 years in jail additionally on drug fees; And twin nationality Alsou Kurmasheva And Ksenia Khavanna.

The US State Division strongly advises US residents towards touring to Russia.

Black was on go away and within the means of returning to his residence base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from South Korea, the place he was stationed at Camp Humphreys with the Eighth Military.

Black agreed to be repatriated, stated Cynthia Smith, an Military spokeswoman, and “as an alternative of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, by way of China to Vladivostok, Russia, for private causes.”

Below Pentagon coverage, service members should acquire clearance for any worldwide journey from their safety director or commander.

The US Military stated final month Black didn’t request this journey allow and it was not approved by the Division of Protection. Given the hostilities in Ukraine and the threats going through america and its navy, it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll obtain approval.

“It was a easy home dispute,” Black’s pal, Alexandra Vashuk, advised reporters earlier this month, throughout which Black “grew to become aggressive and attacked her.”

“Then he stole cash from my pockets and I did not give him permission to try this,” Vashuk stated.

On Wednesday, she advised Russian information web site Gazeta.ru that she thought-about the sentence “utterly humane” and described Black as “violent and unable to regulate himself.”

US officers stated Black, who’s married, met Fashuk in South Korea.

In keeping with US officers, she was residing in South Korea, and final fall she and Black obtained into some form of home dispute or altercation. After which I left South Korea. It’s not clear whether or not she was pressured to go away or what function, if any, South Korean authorities performed within the matter.