Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Jails U.S. Teacher for 14 Years on Drug Charges

Marc Fogel was reportedly detained passing through customs at a Moscow airport in August 2021, when trained dogs were said to find marijuana and hash oil in his luggage. video screenshot / Russian Interior Ministry

A Russian court has jailed a former U.S. teacher and diplomat for 14 years on charges of “large-scale” drug smuggling and possession, media reported Thursday.

Marc Fogel was detained passing through customs at a Moscow airport in August 2021, when 11 grams of marijuana and eight grams of hash oil was reportedly found in his luggage.

He had worked at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow until May 2021, acccording to the Russian authorities. He then apparently took up a teaching job at the Anglo-American School of Moscow.

The Moscow region’s Khimki City Court handed down the verdict on charges of large-scale drug acquisition, manufacture, smuggling and possession, according to Interfax.

“U.S. citizen M.H. Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in a maximum-security prison,” the court was quoted as saying.

Interfax reported in April that Fogel had pleaded guilty to some of the charges but denied intent.

“Fogel said he needed it for medical purposes,” a member of Russia’s presidential human rights council and prison watchdog said at the time.

Fogel maintained that the marijuana was prescribed by a U.S. doctor and entered into his medical record after his spinal surgery, a member of Russia’s prison watchdog told media late last year.

He was reportedly unaware of Russia’s ban on medicinal cannabis.

Russia’s Interior Ministry had said the drugs were “expertly disguised” in a contact lens case and vape cartridges, both wrapped in plastic and “hidden” in his sneakers.

Fogel is among several Americans currently held in Russian prisons amid bilateral tensions, with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and basketball star Brittney Griner most prominent among them.

Another ex-Marine, Trevor Reed, was in April exchanged for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted in the U.S. on drug smuggling charges.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more