Gordon Black, U.S. soldier jailed in Russia for threatening, robbing girlfriend, gets prison sentence reduced
Moscow
— An appellate court in Russia's far east on Monday reduced the prison sentence for an American soldier convicted of stealing and making threats of murder, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, flew to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok to see his girlfriend and was arrested in May 2024 after she accused him of stealing from her, according to U.S. officials and Russian authorities.
A month later, a court in Vladivostok
convicted him
and sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison. Black was also ordered to pay 10,000 rubles (about $115) in damages.
Black
lost one appeal
in a regional court that upheld his sentence, but the judge in the 9th Court of Cassation on Monday agreed to reduce his sentence to three years and two months in prison. Black's defense had asked the court to acquit him of making threats of murder and reduce the punishment for theft, a request the judge partially sustained, according to the RIA report.
Russia has jailed a number of Americans in recent years as tensions between Moscow and the West grew. Some, like corporate security executive
Paul Whelan
, Wall Street Journal reporter
Evan Gershkovich
and teacher
Marc Fogel
, were designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained and released in prisoner swaps.
A few others remain jailed in Russia on drug or assault convictions. They include Robert Gilman, 72, who was handed a 3 1/2-year sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer following a drunken disturbance on a train, and
Travis Leake
, a musician who was convicted on drug charges and sentenced to 13 years in prison in July 2024.
In October, a Russian court
sentenced another 72-year-old American
citizen to nearly seven years in prison after convicting him of fighting as a mercenary for
Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion
. Stephen Hubbard was given a sentence of six years and 10 months for "participating as a mercenary in the armed conflict" after a brief trial held largely behind closed doors.
Another U.S. citizen,
Joseph Tater
, 46, is awaiting trial in Moscow and over the weekend he was forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital, according to Russian state media. Tater was arrested in August 2024 after being accused of assaulting a police officer during a confrontation with staff at an upmarket hotel in the Russian capital.
A Moscow court agreed to admit Tater to a psychiatric hospital non-voluntarily after a medical evaluation on March 15, Russian state news agency Tass reported. It said doctors had described Tater as displaying signs of "tension, impulsivity, persecutory delusions, and lack of self-awareness regarding his condition."
Tater had been due to stand trial on April 14 on charges of assaulting a police officer, which is punishable with a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. It is unclear when the court made its decision to detain him on medical grounds, but Tass previously reported that he had been released from pre-trial detention at the end of March.
At a September court hearing, Tater claimed he came to Russia to seek political asylum and that he was being persecuted by the CIA.
Black was on leave and in the process of returning to his home base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from South Korea, where he had been stationed at Camp Humphreys with the Eighth Army. The U.S. Army said Black signed out for his move back home and, "instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons."
Under Pentagon policy, service members must get clearance for any international travel from a security manager or commander.
The U.S. Army said last month that Black hadn't sought such travel clearance and it wasn't authorized by the Defense Department. Given the hostilities in Ukraine and threats to the U.S. and its military, it is extremely unlikely he would have been granted approval.
Black's girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk, told reporters last year that "it was a simple domestic dispute," during which Black "became aggressive and attacked" her, stealing money from her wallet. She described Black as "violent and unable to control himself."
U.S. officials have said that Black, who is married, met Vashchuk in South Korea.
According to U.S. officials, she had lived in South Korea, and last fall she and Black got into some type of domestic dispute or altercation. After that, she left South Korea. It isn't clear if she was forced to leave or what, if any, role South Korean authorities had in the matter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Atlantic
27 minutes ago
- Atlantic
Photos: A Military Parade in D.C.
Yesterday, the American public witnessed one of the most extravagant and unusual displays of patriotic pageantry in recent memory: an Army festival and military parade in the nation's capital. Nearly 7,000 soldiers, 28 Abrams tanks, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules, and a single dog marched through a cloudy and drizzling Washington, D.C. The event, a celebration of the Army's 250th anniversary, also fell on President Donald Trump's 79th birthday—and took place against a backdrop of fierce immigration crackdowns and nationwide protests against the administration. While millions demonstrated across the country, crowds in the capital appeared lower than expected as thunderstorms threatened in the forecast.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith contemplates increased security after shooting of Democratic lawmakers
Advertisement 'These are real people, and before you start ascribing motives or going after them online maybe you should think about Melissa Hortman's life,' Klobuchar, a Democrat, said on CNN. 'This is a person that did everything for the right reasons. Regardless of political parties, look at her face before you send out your next post.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The attack that killed Hortman, her husband Mark and gravely wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife was a nightmare scenario for the thousands of American who serve as legislators across the 50 states and in Washington. They routinely attend public events with little or no security screening and live with their families in communities torn by the nation's political divides. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, who was the subject of a massive manhunt Sunday. The attacks amid a recent flurry of political violence that appears to be coming from all ideological corners. Advertisement U.S. Capitol Police increased security for Klobuchar and Smith following the attacks, which occurred early Saturday morning. Minnesota's entire congressional delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, released a joint statement condemning the killings. 'Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants,' the statement said. 'There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence.' 'Nothing brings us together more than, you know, mourning for somebody else who's in political life,' GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on NBC. 'Republican or Democrats. You know, we come together about this.' Paul said that he himself had been the victim of political violence when he was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, as well as at the Republican practice for the Congressional baseball game where a gunman severely injured several people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed reporting.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith contemplates increased security after shooting of Democratic lawmakers
Lawmakers on Sunday continued to reel from the shooting of two Democratic Minnesota state legislators in their homes that led to the death of one and her husband, contemplating a previously unthinkable world where democratically-elected representatives need full-time security details to protect them from the public. 'I don't want to think that I have to a personal security detail everywhere I go, but I think we really have to look at the situation that we're in,' Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said Sunday on NBC News. 'This is no way for our government to work when people, any number of us, feel this kind of threat.' The state's other U.S. Senator, Amy Klobuchar, directly addressed the increasingly toxic atmosphere around politics as she remembered state Rep. Melissa Hortman , who was killed in the attack. 'These are real people, and before you start ascribing motives or going after them online maybe you should think about Melissa Hortman's life,' Klobuchar, a Democrat, said on CNN. 'This is a person that did everything for the right reasons. Regardless of political parties, look at her face before you send out your next post.' The attack that killed Hortman, her husband Mark and gravely wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife was a nightmare scenario for the thousands of American who serve as legislators across the 50 states and in Washington. They routinely attend public events with little or no security screening and live with their families in communities torn by the nation's political divides. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, who was the subject of a massive manhunt Sunday. The attacks amid a recent flurry of political violence that appears to be coming from all ideological corners. U.S. Capitol Police increased security for Klobuchar and Smith following the attacks, which occurred early Saturday morning. Minnesota's entire congressional delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, released a joint statement condemning the killings. 'Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants,' the statement said. 'There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence.' 'Nothing brings us together more than, you know, mourning for somebody else who's in political life,' GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on NBC. 'Republican or Democrats. You know, we come together about this.' Paul said that he himself had been the victim of political violence when he was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, as well as at the Republican practice for the Congressional baseball game where a gunman severely injured several people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed reporting. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
