Who Is Michael Travis Leake? U.S. Musician Arrested in Moscow

An American citizen, described as both a musician and an ex-paratrooper, has been arrested in Moscow, according to Russian courts in the capital.

The U.S. citizen, identified as Michael Travis Leake, was arrested on drug charges on Saturday, according to a statement published by Moscow's general jurisdiction courts. He is suspected of selling a drug named mephedrone, causing effects similar to cocaine or MDMA, The Associated Press reported.

"On June 10, 2023, Moscow's Khamovniki District Court took a measure of restraint against a U.S. citizen," Moscow's general jurisdiction courts said on Telegram.

The statement described Leake as a "former paratrooper and a musician, who is accused of running a drug-dealing business involving young people." He will remain in custody for almost two months, until August 6, 2023, the statement continued.

Russia has a harsh policy on drug-related offenses. U.S. citizen and professional basketball player Brittney Griner was released from Russian custody in December after she was arrested in Moscow in February 2022 for possession of cannabis oil. She returned to the U.S. after a prisoner swap.

Russian media reports use a different spelling for Leake, naming him as "Leek." He is believed to perform vocals for a band operating under the name Lovi Noch, or "Seize the Night." An Instagram account under the name "Travis Leake" identifies the owner of the account as a vocalist for the band.

Leake's mother confirmed to CNN that his full name is Michael Travis Leake. A video circulating on Telegram channels, operated by Russian news outlets, appears to show a shot of Leake's passport, with his surname spelled "Leake" and his place of birth being California.

In a separate video published by Russian state media, Leake addressed the camera and spelled his name as "Leake."

"I am an American citizen," he added, saying: "I don't know why I am here."

"I am not admitting to any guilt and I do not believe that I have done what I have been accused [of] because I don't know what I've been accused of," Leake told the camera in the footage.

During searches, Russian authorities said they had found "drug packages" on his person, according to Russian outlet Izvestia, which also published what appears to be a mugshot of Leake.

He could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that the U.S. government was "aware of reports of the recent arrest of a U.S. citizen in Moscow."

"When a US citizen is detained overseas, the department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance," the spokesperson continued.

"The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad," they added. The department would not comment further due to "privacy considerations," the spokesperson said.

Russian tabloid outlet, Ren TV, said Leake had visited Ukraine "several times" in 2014, and had served in Iraq with the U.S. armed forces.

Wall Street Journal reporter and U.S. citizen, Evan Gershkovich, remains in custody in Russia after he was arrested on espionage allegations back in March. In late May, he appealed against a Russian court's decision to extend the amount of time he spent in custody before standing trial.

Former U.S. Marine, Paul Whelan, was also arrested by Russian authorities and faced accusations of spying before being handed a 16-year prison sentence in 2020.

Update 06/11/23 at 11:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a U.S. State Department comment.