Russia arrests U.S. citizen on drug dealing charges

[June 12, 2023]  MOSCOW (Reuters) -A U.S. musician and former paratrooper has been arrested in Moscow on drug dealing charges and his court appearance, locked in a metal cage, has been shown on Russian state television.

Russia's court system named the detained American as Michael Travis Leake, 51, who was formerly a songwriter and musician in the Russian "Lovi Noch" ("Catch the night") rock band.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed that Leake was detained in Moscow, adding that officials from the U.S. embassy there attended his arraignment on June 10.

"When a U.S. citizen is detained overseas, the Department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance," the Department spokesperson said in emailed responses.

"We will continue to monitor the case closely."

Rossiya 24 state television showed Leake standing in a court cage while REN TV showed a picture of him being detained on June 6 in Moscow, lying on the floor in his underpants and a T-shirt with his hands restrained behind his back.

"On June 10, 2023, Moscow's Khamovniki District Court took a measure of restraint against a U.S. citizen," according to a statement on the Telegram messaging app by Moscow's courts of general jurisdiction.

"The former paratrooper and a musician, who is accused of running a drug dealing business involving young people, will remain in custody until Aug. 6, 2023."

It was not clear if Leake had a lawyer. Reuters was unable to reach Leake for comment as he was in Russian custody. Messages to the band he was involved in went unanswered.

REN TV said a suspicious substance was found at Leake's apartment.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported that if found guilty, Leake could face up to 12 years in prison.

Russian state television on Saturday (10 June) showed a U.S. musician and former paratrooper appear in court, locked in a metal cage, after his arrest in Moscow on June 6 over drug dealing charges.

A source who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation told Reuters that the rock group he was part of had not played a concert since 2019.

When Leake initially came to Moscow, he worked as an English teacher and helped translate songs for Russian bands.

Since the war in Ukraine began in February last year the United States has repeatedly told its citizens to leave Russia due to the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.

Last December, U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was released in a prisoner swap, having been sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil - which is banned in Russia - after a judicial process labelled a sham by Washington.

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony after being convicted of espionage charges that Washington also says are a sham.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges that he, the Journal and Washington deny.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, Arshad Mohammed in St. Paul, Minnesota, Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Humeyra Pamuk in WashingtonEditing by Edmund Klamann, Frances Kerry and Lisa Shumaker)

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.