Stephen Hubbard is a 74-year-old American retired English teacher. finally free He spent more than four years in a Russian prison on charges of being a Ukrainian mercenary. For the family, the long wait is over.
But for as many as 10 other Americans, some with dual Russian citizenship, who remain in Russian custody, the wait continues.
Russian authorities tightly control all information from the country, so the conditions of detainees can be difficult to verify, but here’s what we know about some of the Americans still being held in Russian prisons and labor camps.
Travis Michael Leake
American rock musician Travis Michael Leake, the lead singer of the Moscow band Lovi Noch, was arrested in 2023 for organizing the sale of drugs. He was convicted of drug-related offenses Sentenced in 2024 to 13 years in prison.
Leake’s family said in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that he was “left behind” when he was excluded from the August election. Ankara Prisoner Exchange 2024 Three other U.S. citizens were also brought back. A representative for Leake, who has lived in Moscow since 2010, insisted the American was innocent, telling CBS News: “Travis is not a drug dealer.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not a reporter. I’m sorry, I’m not a basketball player. I’m sorry, I’m not an important person,” Leake said in a message recorded from prison calling for his release.
Robert Woodland
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After spending most of his life in foster care in the United States, Robert Woodland returned to Russia hoping to find his biological mother. In 2020, he told Russian newspapers that he decided to move there after contacting her through a Russian TV show.
In 2024, Woodland pleaded guilty in part to Russian drug trafficking charges and was Sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. In 2025, his sentence was reduced to 9.5 years. Woodland’s attorney, Stanislav Kshevitskii, told CBS News in October 2026 that there were no updates on his case.
David Barnes
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David Barnes and his Russian ex-wife are embroiled in a bitter custody battle in Texas. During the altercation, Borykovna accused Barnes of sexually abusing the two boys, but law enforcement found there was insufficient evidence to press charges. Texas judges ruled multiple times between 2014 and 2018 that Barnes should remain co-guardian. His ex-wife took the children to Russia in 2019 after a failed bid for sole custody.
When Barnes traveled to Russia to seek visitation rights, his ex-wife again accused him of sexual abuse. He was convicted in a Russian court Sentenced in February 2024 21 years in prison.
In a letter to his sons from prison, Barnes maintained his innocence, writing: “Thousands of people in America and Russia know that I am innocent… and you know that I am innocent. Don’t worry, we will be together again… I love you all so much. I was devastated when your mother took you away from me.”
Daniel Schneider
Daniel Schneider is detained in Russia in what a website advocating for his release describes as a “complex international child custody dispute.”
Schneider traveled to Russia to reunite with his 4-year-old son, a Russian citizen. He was arrested in July 2023 while trying to enter Poland with the boy and was later sentenced to six years in prison for kidnapping after prosecutors said the child’s mother did not consent to him leaving the country.
Gordon Black
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U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gordon Black In May 2024, he went to Russia to visit his girlfriend and was stationed in South Korea. He was arrested after she accused him of stealing her money and was eventually sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, U.S. officials and Russian authorities said.
That sentence last year reduced Sentenced to 3 years and 2 months by a Russian court.
Charles Zimmerman
In June 2025, retired U.S. Navy veteran and electrician Charles Wayne “Chuck” Zimmerman was pursuing his lifelong dream of sailing around the world on his personal sailboat. When he arrived in the Black Sea, his family said, he was ordered to track a Russian navy ship under threat of military action.
Zimmerman followed the ship to Sochi and voluntarily declared that he had guns on board. He was arrested and later found guilty of weapons smuggling and sentenced to prison five years in prison January 2026.
Zimmerman’s sister, Robin Stultz, claimed that Russian authorities had barred her brother from contact with U.S. diplomatic representatives since his arrest and said she would not believe any of the confessions they claimed he had made.
Andrei Khachatorian
In December 2021, Andre Khachatoorian was traveling from California to Armenia to visit his wife’s family for the holidays when he was detained during a stopover in Moscow. He asked to open his checked luggage to retrieve his drugs, and police noticed a locked gun case inside, according to a website advocating for his release.
Supporters argued that he had the proper documentation for the weapon and claimed that a Russian police officer tricked him into applying for a Russian visa and then removed him from the airport.
According to Reuters, Khachaturian was accused of arms trafficking in Russia and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in 2023.
Eugene Spector
In December 2024, a Russian court sentenced Eugene Specter to a total of 15 years in prison in the espionage case. The charges against him have not been made public by state media and his trial is being held behind closed doors.
Specter, who was born in Russia, had previously admitted bribing an aide to Russia’s former deputy prime minister and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2022.
A year later, Specter Charged with new espionage chargesand in 2024 he received Additional 15 years in prison.
Alexander Antonov
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Aleksandr Antonov is a naturalized U.S. citizen who traveled to Ukraine and Russia on business. In March 2025, during passport control in Russia, Russian border officials noticed his U.S. passport and claimed that he had Telegram messages containing anti-Russian sentiments on his phone. Antonov was eventually detained Sentenced to 6 years in prison for inciting terrorism and extremism.
CBS News has learned from current and former U.S. officials that the State Department is discussing whether to determine that Antonov was wrongfully detained.