Russia Arrests American Musician on Drug Charges

An American musician and former paratrooper was arrested in Moscow, Russia on drug dealing charges as he was paraded on state T.V. in a cage—and people have questions. 

Reuters reports that musician and rock band manager Michael Travis Leake, 51, was arrested on June 6, and Russian authorities say he was selling drugs. Leake is suspected of selling mephedrone, a drug often described as having effects somewhere in-between cocaine and MDMA. Russia banned mephedrone in 2010. Suspicions abound however, because Leake has spoken out on television about censorship and oppression in Russia.

Rossiya 24—state-owned, Russian language news channel—showed him standing in a court cage. Russian tabloid network Ren TV showed Leake being detained on June 6 in Moscow, lying on the floor in his underwear and a T-shirt with his hands tied behind his back.

Leake is apparently denying any involvement: “I don’t understand why I’m here,” Leake’s statement to police read, Ren TV reports. I don’t admit guilt, I don’t believe I could have done what I’m accused of because I don’t know what I’m accused of.”

Russian authorities routinely accuse journalists of being spies. Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, for instance, who is a U.S. citizen, was arrested last March on “espionage” charges.

“On June 10, 2023, Moscow’s Khamovniki District Court took a measure of restraint against a U.S. citizen,” Moscow’s courts of general jurisdiction stated on Telegram. “The former paratrooper and a musician, who is accused of running a drug dealing business involving young people, will remain in custody until Aug. 6, 2023.” The Russian court statement misspelled his name “Travis Michael Leek.”

U.S. officials confirmed Leake’s detention Saturday.

“We can confirm that Michael Travis Leake was arrested and is detained in Moscow. Embassy officials attended his arraignment on June 10,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told CNN. “We will continue to monitor the case closely.”

Who is Michael Travis Leake?

For an episode of Parts Unknown on CNN, the late host (and cannabis fan) Anthony Bourdain personally hand-picked Leake to participate in the show. Leake and others filmed in 2014 in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia.

Leake discussed his frustrations with censorship in Russia and recalled an incident involving his band and MTV.

“This was a documentary series about musicians standing up and risking their lives in some cases, to stand up against government abuse of power, government corruption,” Leake said on Parts Unknown. “And yet, a foreign government was able to editorially control what Americans viewers see on their TV screens. That to me is a scandal of epic proportion.”

It was apparently one of Bourdain’s favorite interviews.

Leake will remain in custody until August 6. Leake’s mother Glenda Garcia told CNN about her mounting worries, including the notion that her son could be used as more or less a political pawn.

Leake was formerly a songwriter and musician in the Russia-based rock band Lovi Noch, which means “Catch the Night” in Russian.

Tendency to Arrest Americans in Russia

Amid the war in the Ukraine, U.S.-Russia tensions are high, which isn’t good for Americans who bring drugs into the country.

Last December, U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was released after President Biden and authorities negotiated a prisoner swap. Griner faced nine years in a penal colony for possessing vape cartridges containing weed oil. 

In a controversial move, the U.S. agreed to trade Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

But U.S. authorities accused Russia of using people like Griner and others as political pawns.

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony after being convicted of “espionage” charges.

Also don’t forget the Americans who aren’t well-known. Sixty-one-year-old Marc Fogel was arrested in Russia last year after authorities found medical cannabis in his possession.

Interfax, a Russian news agency, reported that if found guilty, Leake could face up to 12 years in prison.

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