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A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced an American citizen to 15 years in prison for espionage, according to Russian state media.
Eugene Spector, who was born in Russia but later moved to the US and obtained his US 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, bringing his total time behind bars to 15 years. RIA Novosti reported.
Spector was also fined 14 million rubles, about $140,000. The hearings took place behind closed doors.
Spector returned to Russia as an adult and became the chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a medical equipment company, before his sentencing in 2021.
The executive was arrested in 2020 after being accused of helping to bribe an aide to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. Spector pleaded guilty. Anastasia Alekseyeva, the aide, ended up being sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to Russian state media.
Spector was charged with additional espionage counts in August 2023, but the details surrounding the case were not public.
Spector is one of several Americans serving time in Russian prisons.
Russia, the US and other Western allies negotiated a historic prisoner swap this August. Twenty-four prisoners were exchanged. The exchange, which took place in Turkey, freed three high-profile Americans: Wall Street Journal reporter 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 being held in various countries.
