Russian judge sentences former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed to 9 years in prison

The U.S. ambassador to Moscow has called the evidence against Reed "flimsy," and the latest example of Russia treating American citizens unfairly.

July 30, 2020, 8:03 AM EDT / Updated July 30, 2020, 10:23 AM EDT
By Matthew Bodner and Anna Schecter
MOSCOW — A Russian court ruled Thursday against a 29-year-old former U.S. Marine who was detained last year on charges of assaulting a police officer after a night of heavy drinking in Moscow, sentencing him to nine years in a Russian prison.

Trevor Reed's nine-year sentence is close to the maximum punishment for these charges, which is 10 years. He has already been in Russian custody awaiting trial for almost a year. Prosecutors on Wednesday asked for 9 years and 8 months.

The defendant, his family and his Russian girlfriend all deny the charges. The U.S. ambassador to Russia has called the evidence flimsy. And all of them have alleged that he has become just the latest example of American citizens being unfairly charged in Russia.

Ambassador John Sullivan told NBC News that Americans detained in Russia receiving unfair treatment from the judicial system is becoming a more frequent problem — a stark warning for Americans considering visiting or doing business in Russia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-judge-sentences-former-u-s-marine-trevor-reed-9-n1235169

So let me guess at the "news" conference this was not brought up .................