US soldier sentenced to Russian penal colony, local media report

LONDON — Gordon Black, the American soldier arrested in Russia for theft, was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison in a Russian penal colony, a national news agency reported.

“The Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok sentences Black to almost four years in prison,” an Interfax correspondent reported from inside the courtroom.

Black was arrested in May. His trial began Monday, with Black pleading partially guilty to the theft charges, but not admitting to the assault or death threat charges, according to Russian media.

The staff sergeant was stationed in South Korea and was on temporary leave when he entered Russia, two U.S. officials told ABC News in May. Black had not obtained permission to travel to Russia, the officials said.

Black's mother, Melody Jones, told ABC News that her son was visiting his girlfriend.

He was accused of taking money from the woman and was arrested in Vladivostok, near the North Korea-China border, for criminal misconduct.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Leah Sarnoff, Mark Guarino and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.