Brittney Griner has been convicted by a Russian court of smuggling drugs with criminal intent, CNN reports. According to ESPN’s T.J. Quinn, she has been sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and fined 1 million rubles, which is about $16,500.
The Mercury star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July and could have received a penalty of up to 10 years in prison as a result. During sentencing, Russian prosecutors asked for Griner to receive 9 1/2 years in prison.
Griner’s defense attorneys have argued that she used cannabis for medicinal purposes and that she had no intention of breaking the law when she arrived at the airport. They added that they will “certainly” file an appeal for the verdict and are disappointed by the ruling.
