Russian court sentences US citizen to 15 years in jail for espionage

A Russian court has sentenced a U.S. citizen to 15 years in jail for espionage on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlets. 

Eugene Spector, who was born in Russia but later moved to the U.S. and got his U.S. citizenship, was already serving a 3 1/2-year sentence for bribery. On Tuesday, a new sentence of 13 years in a maximum security penal colony was added on, bringing his total time behind bars to 15 years, RIA Novosti reported. 

Spector was also fined 14 million rubles, which is around $140,000. The hearings took place behind closed doors. 

Spector moved back to Russia as an adult and became the chair of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a medical equipment company, before his 2021 conviction.

The executive was detained in 2020 after being accused of helping bribe an assistant to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. Spector pleaded guilty. Anastasia Alekseyeva, the aide, ended up being sentenced to 12 years in prison, per Russian state media reports.

Spector was hit with additional espionage counts in August 2023, but the details around the case were not public. 

Spector is one of several Americans serving time in Russia’s prisons. 

Russia, the U.S. and other Western allies brokered a historical prisoner swap this August. Twenty-four prisoners were exchanged. The swap, which took place in Turkey, freed three high-profile Americans — Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva — as well as 13 other Westerners and Russian dissidents. In return, Russia secured the release of eight prisoners who were held in various countries.