Robert Woodland, a Russian-born American citizen, has been convicted by a Moscow court on drug-related charges and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison
MOSCOW — Robert Woodland, a Russian-born American citizen, was convicted Thursday by a Moscow court on drug-related charges and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison, court officials and his lawyers said.
He was found guilty of attempting to traffic large quantities of illegal drugs as part of an organized group, according to an online statement released by court officials. His lawyers told reporters after the verdict was announced Thursday that they will appeal the ruling because Woodland’s guilt has not been proven.
Attorney Stanislav Kshevitsky also said Woodland suffers from unspecified mental health issues. He did not provide details, but said the court did not consider those issues.
According to Russian media, his name matches that of an American citizen interviewed in 2020. He said he was born in the Perm region in 1991 and adopted by an American couple at the age of 2.
He said he traveled to Russia to find his mother and eventually met her on a TV show before deciding to move to Russia. Russian news agency Interfax quoted judicial officials as saying Woodland also holds Russian citizenship.
Arrests of Americans in Russia are becoming more common, relations between Moscow and Washington sink to Cold War lows. Washington accuses Moscow of targeting its citizens and using them as political bargaining chips, but Russian officials insist they have all broken the law.
Some have been exchanged for Russians held in the US, while others, the prospects of release in an exchange are less clear.
Woodland was arrested in January. At the time, the U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of the recent arrest of a U.S. citizen and noted that it “has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” but declined to comment further, citing privacy concerns. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a similar statement at the time.
US officials have not yet commented on the verdict.