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The family of an ex-Marine in Russian prison said they’re skeptical of charges against Brittney Griner.
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Trevor Reed was accused of attacking Russian police officers and sentenced to nine years in prison.
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Griner was arrested in Russia last month. Reed’s family is said to be offering her family support.
A representative for the family of Trevor Reed, a former US Marine detained in Russia, told TMZ this week that he would bet his car that the WNBA player Brittney Griner wasn’t in possession of cannabis when she was arrested in Russia on drug charges last month.
Russian authorities have said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in Griner’s luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport.
The representative, Jonathan Franks, told TMZ that Reed’s family was “highly skeptical” of the charges against Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, and was accusing Russian officials of making false allegations against other Americans, including Reed.
Reed, who has been in custody since 2019, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020 on charges that he had drunkenly attacked Russian police officers. His family has said the accusations are not true.
Franks did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Reed’s parents, Joey and Paula, said in an interview with CNN’s “New Day” on Wednesday that they feared their son had contracted tuberculosis and was suffering from other injuries in prison.
“He’s been sounding horrible,” Joey Reed said. “He’s coughing constantly. He said he’s coughing up blood.”
John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Russia, has called the case against Reed “flimsy,” and Reed’s family has called on President Joe Biden to intervene.
A White House official told CNN on Wednesday that Biden spoke with Joey and Paula Reed to reiterate “his commitment to doing everything he can to bring their son home, to staying in close touch with them through his national security team and to finding a time to meet in person.”
TMZ’s report said the Reeds were offering support to Griner’s family.
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