MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — The Pennsylvania man who was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for possessing ammunition in his luggage returned home to western Pennsylvania on Friday.
After a months-long ordeal, Bryan Hagerich of Somerset County was given a 52-week suspended sentence Friday, allowing him to return home after paying a $6,700 fine.
Hagerich landed at Pittsburgh International Airport around 9:30 p.m. Friday and hugged his children after getting off the escalator to claim luggage. Hagerich held her children in the air for about 15 seconds before kneeling down to kiss them.
Credit: KDKA
“We have a lot of catching up to do, a lot of memories to make together,” Hagerich said. “I’m so excited to see them. They’ve been so strong through all of this.”
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler were also at the airport to greet the Pennsylvania man Friday evening. Fetterman and Reschenthaler were among a group of lawmakers who urged authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands to release Americans detained there.
Hagerich was arrested in February for carrying ammunition in his checked bag. He said he did not realize he had left the shotgun shells in the bag.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition is prohibited in the Turks and Caicos Islands, but previously tourists could often only pay a fine. In February, a court ruling mandated that even tourists leaving the country could face prison time. Hagerich pleaded guilty to possessing 20 shotgun shells.
Four other Americans face similar charges in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Haygrich hopes his case will set a precedent and those other Americans will soon be home.
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