U.S. Citizen Gene Spector Sentenced to 15 Years in Russia for Espionage

The Russian-born businessman had already been serving a prison term for bribery before facing undisclosed espionage charges in a closed trial.

Gene Spector, a Russian-born U.S. citizen, was sentenced by a Moscow court to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony for espionage charges, the specifics of which remain classified.
Spector was already serving a 3.5-year sentence for facilitating bribes to an aide of a former Russian deputy prime minister, with the new sentence adding 13 years to his total prison term.
The trial was held behind closed doors, and no details of the espionage allegations have been publicly disclosed by Russian authorities.
Analysts suggest Spector's lengthy sentence may position him as a potential asset for future prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States.
The U.S. State Department has acknowledged the case but has not yet issued a detailed response to the new sentencing.