So what exactly did he get arrested for? I don't have the patience to look into that.
He was accused of theft.
Something about the story doesn't add up. The guy is 34 years old and has been in the military for 16 years. Speaks fluent Russian, even though he does not appear to be of Russian descent. Goes to Vladivostok, a major Russian military hub, at a time when the two countries are indirectly at war with each other. It is likely that he entered the country illegally, as Americans need a visa to travel to Russia and I just don't see the Russian government issuing a visa to someone like him. And that's on top of the fact that American servicemen are prohibited from travelling to Russia for any reason by their own government.