An American soldier who was arrested in Russia has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

An American soldier who was arrested in Russia earlier this year was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on Wednesday, according to Russian state media via The Associated Press.

Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, will spend three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony for theft and murder charges brought by his girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk. Although he pleaded guilty to theft, he maintained his innocence on the murder charge.

According to court reports from RIA Novosti and Tass, he was also directed to pay $115 in damages.

While prosecutors sought a four-year and eight-month prison sentence for Black, defense lawyers requested his acquittal of all charges.

Vashchuk, whom Black flew to Vladivostok, Russia, to see, was detained on May 2 after Black accused him of stealing from her.

During a domestic dispute, Black allegedly attacked Vashchuk and took money from her wallet without her permission, according to the AP.

The Pentagon's policy prohibits service members from traveling internationally without approval from a security manager or commander. Black did not obtain clearance and his trip to Russia was not sanctioned by the Department of Defense, as stated earlier by the U.S. Army.

Cynthia Smith, an Army spokesperson, stated that Black, who was on leave at the time, traveled to Russia "for personal reasons" after signing out from Camp Humphreys in South Korea to return to his home base in Texas.

Despite having a wife and a child back home in the U.S., he met his girlfriend, who is Russian, while stationed in South Korea.

Last fall, she exited South Korea following a "domestic dispute or altercation" with Black, according to the AP. It's unclear if South Korean authorities played a role in her departure from the country.

The strained relationship with Russia due to the war against Ukraine and the imprisonment of American citizens adds another layer of tension with Black's sentencing.

Russia has imprisoned Black, Evan Gershkovich of Wall Street Journal, musician Travis Leake, teacher Marc Fogel, and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.

The US government has classified Whelan and Gershkovich as unjustly imprisoned and is striving to secure their liberation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.