Pennsylvania father avoids prison in Turks and Caicos ammo case, fined $6,700
Bryan Hagerich, held for three months in Turks and Caicos over forgotten hunting ammunition, received a suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine before returning home.
Pennsylvania dad returns home after suspended sentence in Turks and Caicos ammo case
Bryan Hagerich, a father of two from Pennsylvania, has returned to the United States after spending three months in Turks and Caicos following his arrest on an ammunition possession charge, ABC7NY.com reports.
Hagerich was arrested in February after 20 rounds of hunting ammunition were found in his luggage. He pleaded guilty, saying he had forgotten the rounds were in his bag while travelling. Under Turks and Caicos law — among the strictest in the Caribbean — civilians are banned from possessing firearms or ammunition, with defendants facing a minimum 12-year sentence for violations.
In an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America," Hagerich and his wife, Ashley, said they had prepared for the worst ahead of last Friday's sentencing hearing. Ashley brought two suitcases to the island: one packed for the journey home, the other for a possible 12-year prison term.
"The black suitcase was home, the green suitcase was doomsday," she told "GMA."
Hagerich described the psychological weight of the wait. "Prison is a whole different feeling that, even to this day, right now, I don't think you can ever prepare yourself for it," he told "GMA" correspondent Matt Rivers.
The doomsday scenario did not materialise. A judge sentenced Hagerich to a suspended 52-week term and imposed a fine of $6,700, which he paid promptly. His passport was returned and he flew back to the United States, arriving in Pennsylvania late Friday to embrace his children at the airport.
Hagerich is one of five American tourists arrested in Turks and Caicos over the past six months in connection with the territory's gun control laws. Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Michael Lee Evans of Texas, Tyler Scott Wenrich of Virginia, and Sharitta Shinise Grier of Florida have all been charged after ammunition was discovered in their luggage. Each defendant said the ammunition was packed unintentionally.
Evans was permitted to leave the island due to a medical condition while out on bail and is awaiting sentencing. The remaining defendants are on bail but are not permitted to leave Turks and Caicos pending the resolution of their cases.
Source: Google News TC — Crime