Russia reduces sentence for American Robert Woodland, who was convicted on drug charges

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A Russian court reportedly slashed the sentence of an American who has been held overseas following a drug trafficking conviction. 

The sentence of Robert Woodland was reduced from 12.5 years to 9.5 years on Tuesday, his attorney, Stanislav Kshevitsky, told Reuters. 

It’s unclear why Woodland’s sentence was shortened. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that embassy officials in Russia are closely monitoring the case and that the State Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans overseas.

Woodland was found guilty last July of attempting to sell drugs after he was arrested and found to be in possession of 50 grams of mephedrone, Reuters reported, citing prosecutors. 

RUSSIAN-AMERICAN BALLERINA KSENIA KARELINA HAS MESSAGE FOR TRUMP AFTER RELEASE FROM RUSSIA 

U.S. citizen Robert Woodland sits behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2024. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Woodland, born in Russia in 1991, was adopted by American parents at the age of 2. He returned to Russia at the age of 26 in order to meet his birth mother, he claimed. 

He was then arrested in Russia in January 2024,

Kshevitsky said Woodland has partially admitted guilt, according to Reuters. 

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY 

Robert Woodland was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in Russia last year after being convicted on a drug charge. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Woodland remains held in Russia despite a number of recent prisoner releases during the Trump administration. 

Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for more than a year, was released earlier this month as part of a prisoner swap.

Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony after pleading guilty to treason for donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024. 

Ksenia Karelina walks with her fiancé, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on April 10, following her release from Russia. (AP/Alex Brandon)

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In February, Trump brought American history teacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained in Russia since 2021, back to the U.S. 

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr, Elizabeth Pritchett and Alex Hogan contributed to this report. 

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.