U.S. soldier Gordon Black sentenced in Russia to almost 4 years on charges of theft and threats of murder
CBSJun 21
The Facts
A court in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday sentenced US Staff Sgt. Gordon Black to three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony after finding him guilty of stealing ₽10K ($113) from his girlfriend and threatening to kill her.
Black, a 34-year-old married American soldier, was also ordered to compensate the woman — with whom he reportedly had an on-and-off romantic relationship that began in South Korea — for material damages worth ₽10K.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Arrests of US citizens on trumped-up charges have become increasingly common in Russia, as the Kremlin wants to use them as political bargaining chips. Black's sentence — much stricter than what a Russian citizen would have received for domestic disputes — shows the US must expedite efforts to stop Moscow from holding Washington hostage.
Pro-Russia narrative
Black's conviction isn't related to the frayed relationship between Russia and the US. He is paying the price for not returning to Texas after leaving South Korea, for breaking army rules, for his extramarital affair, for causing considerable harm to a Russian woman, and for committing theft. Black must face the consequences of his willful criminal actions.