June 12 (UPI) -- An American musician was arrested over the weekend in Moscow on drug-related charges, according to a Russian court.
Travis Michael Leake, an American who has lived and worked in Russia for more than a decade, was detained Saturday on accusations of "running a drug dealing business involving young people," the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow said in a brief statement published on Telegram.
The court, which had ordered Leake's arrest, said the American was to remain in pre-trial custody until Aug. 6. The statement also described him as a former U.S. paratrooper.
Russian state-run TASS said it was told by the court's press service that Leake's arrest is linked to the earlier detainment of his friend Valeria Grobanyuk. If convicted, each face up to 12 years' imprisonment, it said.
Related
The State Department confirmed Leake's detention in a Sunday statement to CNN, saying its embassy officials in Moscow attended his Saturday arraignment.
"We will continue to monitor the case closely," it said.
Leake's arrest comes as the United States tries to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was arrested by Russia in late March on accusations of committing espionage -- charges that the United States denies.
Russia also arrested WNBA star Brittney Griner in February 2022, just days before the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine, on narcotics smuggling charges when a small amount of cannabis oil was found in her luggage as she was entering the country to play basketball.
The Olympian was sentenced to nine years in jail but was released in December in a prisoner swap between the Biden administration and the Putin regime that saw Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout go the other way.
