A US soldier defied army rules before being arrested in Russia

WASHINGTON >> Before his arrest in Russia, U.S. soldier Gordon Black not only violated Army rules by traveling to the Russian city of Vladivostok without authorization, but also did so after passing through China, the Pentagon said today .

Today, details emerged about Black's risk-taking behavior that led to the 34-year-old sergeant's luck running out after he followed his girlfriend to Russia while on personal leave from military service.

Russia has charged him on suspicion of theft. His mother says she believes he was tricked by his Russian girlfriend.

The case poses another diplomatic problem for the United States, which has warned U.S. citizens against traveling to Russia and is grappling with other high-profile detentions there.

They include a drug case against basketball star Brittney Griner, who was released in a prisoner swap last year, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed on espionage charges that he and his employer deny.

Black joined the Army in 2008 as an infantryman and was assigned to Camp Humphreys in South Korea. He was ordered to return to Fort Cavazos in Texas, the US Army said in a statement.

“Instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, via China to Vladivostok, Russia for personal reasons,” the Army added.

The Army said there was no evidence that Black planned to remain in Russia after his personal leave expired.

Black's mother, Melody Jones, told ABC News that she had a conversation with her son before his departure and told him she was uncomfortable with him going to Russia, but he went anyway.

“I knew something was going to happen. I felt like he was set up by her,” Jones said.

Black's case is the latest problem for the U.S. Army after U.S. Army Private Travis King was held in North Korea for more than two months following his surprise push across the heavily militarized border that divides the Korean peninsula. King is now back in the United States.

The Army said the Russian Interior Ministry informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow on May 3 that Black had been arrested the day before in Vladivostok for “theft of personal property.”

Black, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is currently in a detention center, the Army said.

“He will remain in custody until his next hearing until the decision is made,” it said.

The Russian Interior Ministry in Vladivostok said a 32-year-old woman had filed a complaint against Black.

The two met in South Korea, the ministry said. The American came to Vladivostok to visit her, the two had an argument, and she later filed a police report accusing him of stealing money, they said. He was arrested at a hotel after buying a plane ticket to return home.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the case had no political element and there were no allegations of espionage.

Separately, the Moscow Judicial Service said today that a court had remanded a U.S. citizen it named as William Russell Nycum for 10 days on charges of “petty hooliganism.”