A Russian court reportedly slashed the sentence of an American who has been held overseas following a drug trafficking conviction. 

The sentence of Robert Woodland was reduced from 12.5 years to 9.5 years on Tuesday, his attorney, Stanislav Kshevitsky, told Reuters. 

It’s unclear why Woodland’s sentence was shortened. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Woodland was found guilty last July of attempting to sell drugs after he was arrested and found to be in possession of 50 grams of mephedrone, Reuters reported, citing prosecutors. 

Robert Woodland was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in Russia last year after being convicted on a drug charge. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Woodland remains held in Russia despite a number of recent prisoner releases during the Trump administration. 

Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for more than a year, was released earlier this month as part of a prisoner swap.

Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony after pleading guilty to treason for donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024. 

Ksenia Karelina walks with her fiancé, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on April 10, following her release from Russia. (AP/Alex Brandon)

In February, Trump brought American history teacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained in Russia since 2021, back to the U.S. 

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr, Elizabeth Pritchett and Alex Hogan contributed to this report.