Authorities in the Russian Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, the American Daniel Joseph Snyder was sentenced today to six years in prison, pleading guilty to the kidnapping of his own son after he tried to leave Russia with him without the permission of the mother of the four-year-old child.
At least nine other American citizens remain behind bars in Russia – nearly two months after a major August 1 prisoner swap between Russia and the West that freed three Americans and dozens of others. Reuters presents the most significant cases.
Ksenia Karelin
A dual Russian-American citizen, Karelin was sentenced in August to 12 years in prison after a court in Russia found her guilty of treason for donating more than $50 to a New York-based charity supporting Ukraine .
The 33-year-old spa worker was arrested in February while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg. After learning about her donation from her phone, Russia's Federal Security Service accused her of raising funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Her attorney said she pleaded guilty in hopes of getting a lighter sentence and would work to have her released in a future prisoner swap.
Mark Fogle
A teacher and former employee of the US Embassy in Moscow, Fogle is serving a 14-year sentence for drug trafficking after he was detained at a Moscow airport in August 2021 with 17 grams of marijuana in his luggage. The 63-year-old Fogle used it for medicinal purposes.
US President Joe Biden said after the August prisoner exchange that Washington “is not giving up” to achieve the teacher's release. Fogle's family expressed annoyance that he was not included in the exchange.
Gordon Black
An active-duty US sergeant based in South Korea, Black was detained in May in Russia's Far Eastern Federal Region on suspicion of stealing money from his Russian girlfriend.
In June, a court found Black guilty of stealing 10,000 rubles ($107) from the woman and threatening to kill her, sentencing him to three years and nine months in prison. He lost his appeal against his conviction.
U.S. officials said the Army has stopped paying Black's salary and may charge him with violating military statutes if he returns to the U.S.
Joseph Teter
Tater was sentenced to 15 days in jail in August for “petty hooliganism”, following allegations he had humiliated staff at a Moscow hotel, which he denies. Russian news agencies say he is being investigated on the more serious charge of assaulting a police officer, which could carry an effective sentence of five years.
Michael Travis Leake
A musician and former paratrooper in the US Armed Forces, Lake was sentenced in July to 13 years in prison for drug trafficking. It is unclear whether he has appealed the charges brought after his arrest in 2023.
Robert Romanov Woodland
An American citizen adopted as a child from Russia, Woodland moved to Russia and was working as an English teacher when he was arrested on charges of trying to sell drugs. He was sentenced on July 4 to 12 years and 6 months in prison. His lawyer said Woodland had partially pleaded guilty.
Robert Gilman
A former US Marine, Gilman is serving his sentence of 4 years and 6 months – later reduced by one year – in October 2022 after drunkenly assaulting a police officer.
He stated before the court that he did not remember the incident, but “he apologized to Russia” and the police officer. The former marine has complained several times of medical problems in prison, including food poisoning, Russian media reported.
Prosecutors ordered a new trial against Gilman on four additional assault charges. The first hearing will be held on October 3.
Eugene Specter
Currently serving a 3-year, 6-month sentence for bribery, Spector, who was born in Russia and moved to the US, was also charged last August with espionage. Before his arrest in 2021, he was the chairman of the board of directors of “Medpolimerprom” – a company specializing in cancer drugs, Russian state media reported. Spector pleaded guilty to helping bribe an adviser to a former Russian deputy prime minister. It is not yet clear how he will plead to the espionage charges.
David Barnes
Barnes was sentenced by a court in Russia this February to 21 years in prison on charges that he abused his two sons in the United States. He has a custody dispute with his Russian ex-wife.
The case was investigated in Texas, where authorities found no reason to press charges against him.