According to state media reports on Wednesday, an American soldier detained in eastern Russia while visiting a woman he was romantically involved with has been charged with “theft with major damage.”
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was arrested in Vladivostok last week after departing from his posting in South Korea. Instead of traveling to Fort Cavazos, Texas, for a new assignment as planned, he chose to visit Russia, stated the U.S. Army.
While details of the Russian criminal case remain sparse, the Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok reportedly charged Black, who now faces two months in pre-trial detention, as cited by state-run news agency Ria Novosti.
According to Ria Novosti, the court stated that Black is “accused of secretly stealing the property of a citizen T., causing the latter significant damage.”
Confirmation of the charge emerged as social media posts surfaced, providing glimpses into the relationship between Black and a Russian woman.
Radio Free Europe identified what it claims to be the TikTok account of a woman who posted numerous videos of herself with Black in South Korea between 2022 and 2023. In one video, she mentioned residing in South Korea for five years.
During one video, the woman invited Black to share his thoughts on U.S.-Russia relations. He remarked that NATO had been “pretty aggressive” and that relations between the two nations were better during former President Donald Trump’s tenure.
Black’s mother, Melody Jones, informed CBS News on Monday that her son had traveled to Russia to visit his girlfriend.
The U.S. Army is probing whether Black was enticed to Vladivostok by Russian intelligence services, stated a Pentagon spokesperson on Tuesday.
Regarding this possibility, Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh commented, “This is something that the Army is looking into.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that the detention was unrelated to politics, as reported by state news agency TASS.
Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith reiterated on Tuesday that Black did not have clearance to visit Russia. Black enlisted as an infantryman in 2008 and has completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, she added.
In a separate interview, Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh at the Pentagon mentioned that the Army was investigating whether Black had been targeted by Russian intelligence.