- This story is breaking, more to come.
A US citizen has reportedly been arrested in Moscow after claiming he got drunk, climbed through the window of a children’s library and fell asleep.
The man, named locally as William Russell Nycum, was placed under administrative arrest for 10 days following the incident at a children’s library in Moscow on May 3, and was charged with ‘petty hooliganism’. A separate criminal case for vandalism is also being pursued.
According to local media, Nycum was on holiday in Russia and was staying with some teachers he knew.
On May 2, he went to a bar and disappeared before being arrested the next day.
He claimed to have been kidnapped after getting into a fight with his friends at a bar, but in reality he had simply left in a taxi, a source told Ren TV, before crashing through the library window.
His visa allowed him to stay in Russia for a maximum of six months, although it is not known when he entered the country or how his administrative arrest will affect this.
The man, named locally as William Russell Nycum, has been placed under administrative arrest for 10 days following the incident at a children’s library in Moscow.
William Russell Nycum is held in Moscow for ten days (File Image)
His visa allowed him to stay in Russia for a maximum of six months, although it is not known when he entered the country or how his administrative arrest will affect this.
While his “petty hooliganism” charge resulted in a 10-day jail sentence, his vandalism charge could lead to even more jail time.
Under Russia’s Criminal Code, the offense can result in a fine of up to 40,000 rubles (£350), up to 360 hours of ‘compulsory work’, up to a year of ‘corrective work’, or a prison sentence of three months. jail.
Administrative charges are generally broader than criminal charges, but carry less severe penalties.
Administrative charges can be as minor as violating fishing regulations, but can be as serious as “promoting non-traditional sexual relationships and (or) preferences.”
News of Nycum’s arrest comes after U.S. officials say an American soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend.
Staff Sergeant Gordon D. Black was taken into custody on May 2 in Vladivostock, near the border with China and North Korea.
He was stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own, CBS News reported Monday.
It is not clear how Black traveled to Russia, but it was not an official affair for the military.
Black was apparently changing stations from Korea to Fort Hood, Texas.
The soldier is reportedly accused of stealing from a woman.