Latest news with #GordonBlack
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. soldier has sentence reduced for threats of murder and stealing
An American soldier who was found guilty of making threats of murder and stealing in Russia had his more than three-year prison sentence reduced by seven months on Monday, state media reported. Last June, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was sentenced to three years and nine months in the district of Primorsky Krai. But a court Monday reduced his sentence to three years and two months, both Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported. Black flew to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok in May 2024 to see his Russian girlfriend, where he was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her, according to American officials and Russian authorities. As well as the prison sentence, Black was also ordered to pay 10,000 roubles (about $90 at the time) in damages. The soldier 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. Black had been on leave and was due to return from Camp Humphreys, where he was stationed in South Korea with the Eighth Army, to his home base in Fort Cavazos, Texas. But 'instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons,' then-deputy press secretary at the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, told reporters shortly after his arrest. He had not sought travel clearance as mandated under Pentagon policy, she added. Alexandra Vashchuk, the woman he was romantically involved with, said they had 'a simple domestic dispute' when Black 'became aggressive and attacked' her, stealing money from her wallet. Vashchuk was living in South Korea when she first met Black, according to U.S. officials, but left the country shortly afterward. Tensions between Moscow and Washington in recent years have seen a number of Americans, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and teacher Marc Fogel, be wrongfully detained and jailed in Russia. All three have been freed. Shortly after Black's detention, a Pentagon spokesperson said the U.S. was investigating whether he had been lured to Russia by the country's intelligence services. Russian Foreign Ministry's office in Vladivostok said at the time that it had nothing to do with politics, Tass reported at the time. 'This case has no relation to politics or espionage. As far as we understand, a household crime [is suspected] in this case. That is why the Russian Foreign Ministry's mission in Vladivostok is not following the case of the U.S. citizen closely,' the mission was quoted by the agency as saying. Black, whose Facebook page and public records indicate he's from southern Illinois, enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 2008. From October 2009 through September 2010, he served in Iraq. He also served in Afghanistan from June 2013 until March 2014, according to Smith. Most recently, he had been assigned to the Eighth Army and based at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the largest overseas U.S. military installation in the world. This article was originally published on
NBC News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
U.S. soldier has sentence reduced for threats of murder and stealing by court in Russia
An American soldier who was found guilty of making threats of murder and stealing in Russia had his more than three-year prison sentence reduced by seven months on Monday, state media reported. Last June, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was sentenced to three years and nine months in the district of Primorsky Krai. But a court Monday reduced his sentence to three years and two months, both Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported. Black flew to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok in May 2024 to see his Russian girlfriend, where he was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her, according to American officials and Russian authorities. As well as the prison sentence, Black was also ordered to pay 10,000 roubles (about $90 at the time) in damages. The soldier 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. Black had been on leave and was due to return from Camp Humphreys, where he was stationed in South Korea with the Eighth Army, to his home base in Fort Cavazos, Texas. But 'instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons,' then-deputy press secretary at the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, told reporters shortly after his arrest. He had not sought travel clearance as mandated under Pentagon policy, she added. Alexandra Vashchuk, the woman he was romantically involved with, said they had 'a simple domestic dispute' when Black 'became aggressive and attacked' her, stealing money from her wallet. Vashchuk was living in South Korea when she first met Black, according to U.S. officials, but left the country shortly afterward. Tensions between Moscow and Washington in recent years have seen a number of Americans, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and teacher Marc Fogel, be wrongfully detained and jailed in Russia. All three have been freed. Shortly after Black's detention, a Pentagon spokesperson said the U.S. was investigating whether he had been lured to Russia by the country's intelligence services. Russian Foreign Ministry's office in Vladivostok said at the time that it had nothing to do with politics, Tass reported at the time. 'This case has no relation to politics or espionage. As far as we understand, a household crime [is suspected] in this case. That is why the Russian Foreign Ministry's mission in Vladivostok is not following the case of the U.S. citizen closely,' the mission was quoted by the agency as saying. Black, whose Facebook page and public records indicate he's from southern Illinois, enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 2008. From October 2009 through September 2010, he served in Iraq. He also served in Afghanistan from June 2013 until March 2014, according to Smith.
Arab Times
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Russia reduces prison sentence for US soldier convicted of theft
MOSCOW, April 7, (AP): 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 US 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 ($115 at the time) 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 US 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. 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.
Arab News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Russia reduces prison sentence for US soldier convicted of theft
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 US 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 ($115 at the time) 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 US 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. 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 US 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 US 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 US 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.' US officials have said that Black, who is married, met Vashchuk in South Korea. According to US 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.
The Hill
07-04-2025
- The Hill
Russia reduces prison sentence for US soldier convicted of theft
MOSCOW (AP) — 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 ($115 at the time) 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. 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.
