More Information Regarding the Arrest of the US Soldier in Russia. Apparently, a Second US Citizen was also Detained for a Separate Alleged Incident

The Pervomaisky district court in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok ordered the arrest of U.S. Staff Sergeant Gordon Black and sent him to pretrial detention until at least July 2, court spokeswoman Yelena Oleneva said on May 7.

He has been accused of stealing from a woman after traveling from South Korea -- where he was stationed -- without informing his superiors.

Russian authorities separately disclosed on May 7 that another American, identified by court officials as William Russell Nycum, had been detained 10 days ago in an unrelated case and was in custody in Moscow on "petty hooliganism" and alcohol charges.

Daniel Kanigan, deputy spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, told RFE/RL in an e-mail that “we can confirm that two U.S. citizens have been detained in Russia in the past week.” He did not confirm the name of either of the detained Americans.

Russia's Foreign Ministry, however, said the two news cases were not political and that neither is accused of espionage.

Black was charged with "theft causing significant damage to a citizen," Kommersant cited Oleneva as saying. The maximum penalty for the charge is five years in prison.

Though his name was not officially confirmed, the soldier’s mother told the ABC TV network that her 35-year-old son had been visiting his girlfriend in Russia at the time of his arrest.

- RFE/RL