American Marine Receives Additional 8-Year Sentence for Assaulting Guards in Russian Prison

An American citizen imprisoned in Russia for assaulting a police officer has received an additional eight-year sentence for attacking guards at the detention facility where he is incarcerated, according to reports from Russian media on Wednesday.

Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine and English teacher, was initially sentenced to two years in prison in October 2022 after being convicted of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated.

On Wednesday, a judge from the Central District Court in Voronezh imposed an extra eight years on Gilman as a result of an incident that occurred in May, during which he allegedly assaulted a guard at the facility where he was serving his original sentence.

During the trial, Gilman reportedly admitted his guilt and expressed regret for his behavior, explaining that his aggression towards the prison guards was an attempt to stay in the Voronezh pre-trial detention center, where he believed conditions were more favorable and he could receive support from his family through letters and packages.

His attorney informed state media that he does not intend to contest the latest sentence.

As reported by the Kommersant business newspaper and state media sources, Gilman is also facing further charges related to another alleged assault on a prison guard. The Central District Court is set to address this case on December 25, as reported by the TASS state news agency.

Gilman is one of nine American nationals imprisoned in Russia for whom the Trump administration has been advocating for release, as reported by Reuters earlier this year.

In November, Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin’s economic envoy, mentioned that he had discussed the possibility of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. during a meeting with White House officials the previous month.