American who came to Siberia 'for better quality of life' faces deportation

The insurance salesman flew from the US to Germany and Kazakhstan before attempting to enter southern Siberia without the necessary Russian visa. He told FSB border guards that he did not like life in America and wanted to 'work on the land' in a Siberian village. 

Prieto was detained on his second attempt to enter Russia, after first being refused at the Pavlovka checkpoint in Novosibirsk region. He explained that acquaintances had told him that 'life here is better', and the district where he lived in the US was 'not very safe'.

After being held in detention six weeks pending his court hearing in the Karasuk District Court, Novosibirsk region, the judge opted against further custody as punishment.

But the US citizen will be held in a detention facility for foreigners until his deportation, likely to be paid for by the Russian government at a cost of 136,000 roubles ($2,162), is arranged.

He was fined 7,000 roubles ($110) but then exempted from paying it. Prosecutors had asked for more severe punishments for 'crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation without a proper permit'.

His Russian lawyer Ivan Mikhailenko said the American was 'satisfied with the sentence and thinks that it is very mild'. 

'Everyone in court saw that Julio was very frightened, he even shed a tear,' he said. 'He doesn't know the language. It was very difficult here for him. So the sentence was so mild to make him leave Russia without any problems, the sooner the better.' 

The court was told he was not on the US wanted list.