Russia Extends Prison Sentence of U.S. Citizen Robert Gilman to 10 Years
VORONEZH, Russia — December 4, 2025 — Russian authorities have extended the prison sentence of U.S. citizen Robert Gilman by two years, bringing his total term to 10 years, officials said Wednesday. Gilman, a former Marine from Dracut, Massachusetts, was found guilty of assaulting two prison guards in the Voronezh region, where he is currently incarcerated.
The regional court ruled that the incident constituted a new offense warranting additional punishment. Prosecutors accused Gilman of attacking prison staff, leading to the sentence extension. This latest ruling continues a pattern of increasing charges and lengthening prison time for Gilman since his initial arrest in 2022.
Gilman was first detained in January 2022 after passengers on a train reported that he was intoxicated and causing a disturbance. Transport police removed him from the train in Voronezh, where he was held for petty hooliganism. At the time, Russian media reported that Gilman was heavily intoxicated while traveling between Sochi and Moscow to replace a damaged passport. Gilman later claimed in court that he believed his drink had been spiked.
Following his arrest, Gilman was convicted of assaulting a police officer and initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of four and a half years out of a possible five. Reports indicated that Gilman bruised a police officer with a kick while being removed from the train.
Gilman’s legal troubles escalated in 2024 when he was found guilty of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, assaulting an investigator, and beating another guard. Those convictions resulted in a sentence of eight years and one month. The recent two-year extension increases his total prison term to a decade.
Local media, including the business newspaper Kommersant, reported that Gilman admitted to some of the assaults. He stated that he began breaking prison rules after being threatened with a transfer from his current facility.
Gilman’s case highlights ongoing tensions and legal challenges faced by foreign nationals detained in Russia. No further details about the circumstances of the assaults or Gilman’s current condition were provided by authorities.
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