MOSCOW (Reuters) – U.S. soldier Gordon Black, detained in the Russian city of Vladivostok until July 2, is accused of theft and causing serious damage, a Russian court said.
The detention of Black, who the Pentagon said traveled to Russia without authorization, represents another diplomatic headache for the United States, which has warned American citizens against traveling to Russia.
He was arrested in early May in Vladivostok, in Russia's far east.
The Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok said in a statement that under the preventive measure it decided to detain Black until July 2 on charges of “secretly stealing Citizen T's property, causing the latter serious damage.”
“In choosing the preventive measure in the form of detention, the court came to the conclusion that the American citizen B. (Black) – under the weight of the charges – could hide from the preliminary investigation authorities and the court to avoid responsibility.” The court said in the statement.
Earlier, the court's press service identified the soldier as Gordon Black.
The Russian Interior Ministry in Vladivostok said on Tuesday that a 32-year-old woman had filed a complaint against the 34-year-old suspect.
The two met in South Korea. She added that the American came to Vladivostok to visit her, and a dispute occurred between them, and she later submitted a police report accusing him of stealing money. He was arrested at a local hotel after purchasing a plane ticket to return home.
The Pentagon said Tuesday that before his arrest in Russia, Black not only violated Army rules by traveling to the Russian city of Vladivostok without authorization, but did so after passing through China.
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