Reported 8 months ago
A court in Vladivostok, Russia, sentenced US soldier Gordon Black to 3 years and 9 months in exile and ordered him to return 10,000 rubles he stole from his Russian girlfriend Alexandra Vashuk's wallet and threatened to kill her. Black denied threatening his girlfriend but partially admitted to the theft, claiming he had no choice. His defense lawyer plans to appeal the decision. The incident occurred after Black left his base in South Korea, flew to China and then met Vashuk in Russia. The US Department of Defense stated that Black's unauthorized trips to Russia and China violated military regulations. The State Department advised against traveling to Russia due to the detention of several US citizens, including journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is facing espionage charges in a closed-door trial next week.
Source: YAHOO