Marc Fogel's mother says her son is a political pawn after prisoner swap

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Brittney Griner is back home, swapped out for a Russian arms dealer. Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remains jailed, and Oakmont resident Marc Fogel is stuck in a Russian labor camp. 

Butler native Marc Fogel was sentenced this past summer to 14 years in a maximum security prison in Russia for being caught with less than an ounce of medical marijuana.

His mother Malphine Fogel said he's about a two-hour train ride from Moscow. The family does speak to him regularly and he seems to be doing well and in good spirits.

He spends a lot of his time reading books that the family has sent over and teaching his inmates the English language.

She does say he's lost about 12 pounds and lives on cabbage and potato soup.

While the family is glad Griner has made it back home safely to the U.S., she fears Fogel is being used as a political pawn and can't understand why the U.S. was unable to secure his release too.

"I really thought in my heart that they would lump the three of them together because they're trading for a dangerous, real criminal. These three people aren't criminals. It just doesn't seem like an even trade to me," Malphine Fogel said. 

But the Fogel family is still fighting. They are remaining optimistic and are will not give up until their son, husband and father is brought back home.