In a statement released after Woodland's conviction on Thursday, Russian prosecutors said he was arrested packaging a large quantity of drugs in an apartment in the Russian capital.
They alleged he was working with a large criminal organization and transported 50 grams of the drug from a pickup point on the outskirts of the city.
His lawyer, Stanislav Kshevitsky, initially denied the charges, saying officials had “provided no evidence” to the court of drug sales.
But he told Reuters on Wednesday that Mr. Woodland had confessed to some of the charges against him. It was unclear which charges he had admitted.
Footage reported by Russian state media showed Woodland sitting in a glass cage in court, staring blankly ahead as the verdict was read.
Russian media reported that Mr. Woodland decided to stay in Russia after meeting his mother in 2020 and worked as an English teacher near Moscow. The tearful reunion with his mother was broadcast on state television at the time.
Interfax news agency reported that he has American and Russian citizenship.
At least a dozen Americans, including journalists and active-duty military personnel, are currently being held in Russian prisons and detention centers.
Among them is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained a year ago on espionage charges, a charge he denies. The U.S. considers him “unjustly detained.”, Out.
Western officials have long suspected that Moscow is trying to detain Western citizens to use as bargaining chips in prisoner exchanges. U.S. law prohibits ransom payments to terrorist groups, but successive administrations have been willing to offer concessions to other states to secure the release of Americans.
This is the case of Brittany Griner, who was released in late 2022 in a prisoner swap with the United States in exchange for controversial Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The U.S. State Department said earlier this year that it was aware of Woodland's case, but declined to comment directly on the allegations.
Instead, the United States issued a statement saying, “Nothing is more important than the safety and security of American citizens abroad.”
U.S. officials have repeatedly warned American citizens living in Russia to leave the country, citing the risk of wrongful arrest and harassment by authorities.
