US soldier sentenced to nearly 4 years in Russian penal colony

A U.S. soldier has been sentenced to nearly four years in a Russian penal colony after being found guilty by a Russian court of stealing money from his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk and threatening to kill her. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was sentenced to three years and nine months Wednesday, June 19. 

According to Russian media, Black partially admitted guilt to theft charges but not to the threats. 

Black began a relationship with Vashchuk in South Korea, where he was stationed. He followed her to Russia after she returned, without military approval. In May, Russian authorities arrested him for criminal misconduct, which involved a physical altercation where he allegedly choked Vashchuk and stole money.

Black claimed Vashchuk was aggressive and hit him after consuming alcohol. He plans to appeal the verdict.

U.S. Army service member Gordon Black, who has been detained in Russia since early May, pleaded partially guilty to charges of theft during the second hearing of his ongoing trial in the Primorsky Court, Russian media reported Monday. https://t.co/Zk4rHkxat6

— ABC News (@ABC) June 17, 2024

The judge also ordered black to pay 10,000 rubles (about $115) in damages. 

Black’s case is just the latest to go to sentencing in a string of Russian arrests of Americans, including two the U.S. has declared as wrongfully detained: former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.