Russian authorities have disclosed that an American soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, facing charges of theft and causing significant damage, will remain in pretrial detention until July 2nd.
Black, who enlisted in the Army in 2008 and was stationed at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, traveled to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons before his arrest, according to the Pentagon.
The Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok stated that Black would be detained until July 2nd for allegedly secretly stealing property and causing significant damage to a citizen. Reports suggest that a 32-year-old woman filed a complaint against Black, alleging theft.
According to Reuters, the pair met in South Korea, and an argument ensued during Black’s visit to Russia. The woman reportedly accused him of stealing money, leading to his arrest at a hotel.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh explained that Black departed from his military duties in South Korea on April 10th, intending to return to Texas. However, he flew to Vladivostok instead, in violation of regulations prohibiting travel to Russia.
Singh mentioned that an administrative investigation into Black’s travel is ongoing and may result in consequences for his actions. Black’s mother, Melody Jones, expressed on ABC’s “Good Morning America” her belief that her son was “set up” by the woman, whom she described as his girlfriend. Jones indicated that Black had met the Russian woman while she was working at a bar near his military base in South Korea, and she was subsequently deported to Russia.
