Mister Tater Jets Off Post-Psychiatric Stint: US Man Exits Russia
American Inmate Departs Russia Following Psychiatric Hospital Discharge
Facebook ⓘ Twitter ⓘ Whatsapp ⓘ E-Mail ⓘ Print ⓘ Copy Link ⓘ
That American chap who was rotting in a Russian asylum? Yep, he's outta there, according to the state news agency Tass based in Moscow, citing both medical and security sources. Word on the street is that a US President, either Donald Trump or Joe Biden, and Russian President Vladimir Putin made a sweet deal to exchange up to nine dudes. Whether Mister Tater's departure has anything to do with this agreement is anybody's guess, but it's safe to assume they wouldn't let a foreigner like him slip out without a wink from the authorities.
The Hotel Ruckus and the Ensuing Charges
Back in August 2024, this fella got hassled by the fuzz for acting up in a Moscow hotel. Then, he got accused of clobbering a cop, which could've landed him a long prison stretch. Flash any time to April 2025, and a court decided to pull the plug on those charges but dumped him in a loony bin due to his wonky mental health.
With relations between US and Russia thawing like a popsicle since Trump assumed office in January, they've sprung a few prisoners loose.
Source: ntv.de, dpa
Find out more about Joseph Tater's situation:
Joseph Tater's Case- Detention and Charges: Joe, our man in question, was nabbed in Moscow on August 12, 2024, on accusations of "trashing the place" for allegedly bugging out hotel employees, a charge he denied tooth and nail. He got slapped with 15 days behind bars initially[1][2], and then there were rumors he was under investigation for attacking a cop[2][3].- Psychiatric Treatment: Once the docs pumped him full of diagnoses for a mental disorder, a court yanked him out of pretrial detention and shipped him off for compulsory psychiatric treatment on April 6, 2025[1][2].- Release: Joe got sprung from the asylum on June 6, 2025, with unnamed medical sources indicating that there was no need to keep him chained anymore, and he was set free for personal treatment[1][2]. Shortly afterwards, he jetted outta Russia, and we don't have the faintest clue where he's hiding now[1][2].
Relation to Prisoner Exchange- No straight-up evidence links Joe's release to a prisoner exchange agreement between Trump and Putin. However, a Kremlin source mentioned that Joe's one of nine Americans Russia's been holding that the US wanted back[1][2]. The US State Department is keeping mum about the specifics of the sitch due to confidentiality concerns[3].
Just a heads-up, Donald Trump is outta office now, and any current diplomatic endeavors or prisoner exchanges fall under the jurisdiction of President Joe Biden. No reports suggest that Joe's release is tied to a specific agreement involving Trump and Putin.
- Despite initial speculation, it's unclear if Mister Tater's release from a Russian psychiatric facility was part of a prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, given the lack of concrete evidence linking the two events.
- The health-and-wellness aspect of Mister Tater's situation has been a topic of discussion, as his release was due to improved mental health, according to unnamed medical sources.
- As the exchange of prisoners becomes a general news topic, the politics surrounding the situation remain unclear, with both the US and Russian governments refraining from making official statements about any agreements.
