US Soldier Gordon Black Detained in Russia for Alleged Theft

The mother of Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, believes her son was "set up" after he was detained in Vladivostok, Russia, on May 2 and accused of stealing from his girlfriend.

Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, a 34-year-old infantry soldier, was detained in Russia and accused of beating and stealing money from a woman. According to Russian television reports, Black is facing charges involving the alleged attack.

Black's mother, Melody Jones, told "Good Morning America" that her son had met the Russian woman when she worked as a bartender near his Army base in South Korea. She later returned to Russia after being deported.

Jones expressed concerns that her son was being set up by the woman, describing their relationship as "volatile." She suspects the woman might be a spy and believes something was amiss before Black's travel to Russia.

Black was deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to September 2010 and to Afghanistan from June 2013 to March 2014. Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said that Black signed out on leave enroute to Fort Cavazos, Texas, on April 10.

However, instead of returning to the United States, Black traveled to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons, Smith said. He did not request official clearance or receive authorization to visit those countries.

Black is currently being held in a Russian pre-trial detention facility and is expected to have a hearing early in July. The State Department strongly advises US citizens not to travel to Russia and urges those already there to leave.

Several other Americans, including William Nycum, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Travis Leake, Marc Fogel, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Ksenia Khavana, are also detained in Russia. The US government has designated Whelan and Gershkovich as wrongfully detained and has been working to negotiate their release.

FOX News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.