U.S. Soldier Arrested on Charges of Stealing in Russia Will Be Held for at Least 2 Months

A Russian court said Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was arrested on charges of "secretly stealing property" of a Russian citizen

A U.S. soldier accused of stealing in Russia has been detained and will remain in the country's custody as he awaits trial, officials have confirmed to the Associated Press and CBS News.

Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was arrested on Thursday, May 2 in Vladivostok. According to the outlets, the infantry soldier, who is married, was in the process of being transferred from Seoul, South Korea to Fort Cavazos in Texas when he took a detour to the Russian port city to visit a longtime girlfriend.

In a statement to NBC News, Pervomaisky District Court said that Black was arrested "under the 'theft' article" of the country's criminal code and charged with "secretly stealing property" of a Russian citizen, which allegedly caused this person "significant damage."

Per the outlet, the court also said he "will be held in pre-trial detention" for at least two months in order "to prevent him from evading charges."

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"The court came to the conclusion that [Black], under the weight of the charges, in order to avoid responsibility, could hide from the preliminary investigation authorities and the court, thereby preventing the proceedings in the case," the court said in a statement, per NBC News.

In a statement to the AP, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said that Russia informed the U.S. of the arrest and that Black’s family has also been notified. She said that the U.S. would work to provide support to the soldier as he remains overseas.

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“The U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” Smith said, per the AP.

Officials told the news agency that Black, who "was essentially on leave" after being redeployed home, did not notify his unit of his travel to Russia nor did he receive any authorization to visit the country.

Per NBC News and CNN, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul said on Monday that he was "deeply concerned by reports that a U.S. Army officer has been detained in Russia," and the arrest comes as a "warning" to Americans that "as the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia."

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The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory for Russia in September 2023, advising Americans against traveling into the country. In the advisory, it noted that Americans should “exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions.”

The advisory further explained that "U.S. government and military personnel and private citizens" have "been interrogated without cause and threatened by Russian officials, and may become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion." It also said that the "U.S. Embassy has a limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia."

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