PACKING HEAT

U.S. Tourist Sentenced for Bringing Ammo on Turks and Caicos Vacation

The judge accepted that he had unintentionally packed the bullets in his bag.

Passport. Tickets. Bullets? An American tourist in Turks and Caicos was freed from jail on Friday after being detained for months because he brought 20 rounds of ammunition in his suitcase, according to NBC News. Bryan Hagerich pleaded guilty after he was arrested in February, arguing he should be released because of the time he’d already served ahead of his sentencing. In a sentencing hearing on the island of Providenciales, Judge Tanya Lobban Jackson sentenced him to “52 weeks but 12 months suspended,” meaning he would not spend any more time behind bars. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $6,700. Jackson said that she opted for a lighter sentence because Hagerich had no criminal background and had unintentionally brought the ammo with him. She also cited the impact his arrest had on his daughter, and after the decision Hagerich’s family was seen emotionally embracing.