Bryan Hagerich, an American, was spared a lengthy prison sentence for violating Turks and Caicos’ severe gun regulations and returned to the United States after paying a fine. Earlier this year, authorities discovered the father of two carrying ammunition in his luggage.
On Friday, a judge sentenced Hagerich to a 52-week suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine. After paying his fine, he received his passport and returned to the United States without serving his term.
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“The weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders,” Bryan Hagerich told reporters at Pittsburgh International Airport Friday evening, following his reunion with family.
“I’m so thankful to be home here with my family and friends, but we still have three other Americans in Turks and Caicos,” said Hagerich.
“It was tough—the darkest days of my life,” Hagerich added. “You think you’re on this beautiful island, but there’s nothing beautiful about it when you don’t have your family.”
When asked if he would return to Turks and Caicos, he replied, “I think we’ll be looking for somewhere else.”
Hagerich faced a maximum 12-year term, the country’s minimum for possessing firearms or ammunition, under a stringent statute geared at combating rising crime and gang violence. However, the judge recognized extraordinary circumstances and determined that the obligatory minimum of 12 years was unreasonable and disproportionate to the offense committed.
After paying the fee, Hagerich told reporters that he was “absolutely elated” to be back home with his children.
In February, while returning from a family vacation, authorities detained the Pennsylvania father of two after discovering ammunition in his checked luggage. He pleaded guilty to possessing 20 rounds of ammunition.
“I’m a man of integrity and character,” he told ABC News earlier this month, alongside his wife Ashley. “I did not have intent in this.”
Following the sentencing, the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Premier stated that “justice has been served as the law intended.”
“As we have stated, the Firearms Act includes provisions for exceptional circumstances, and today’s decision reflects our commitment to judicial independence while also upholding the law,” Premier C. Washington Misick said in a statement. “The Turks and Caicos Islands are committed to safety and compassion, ensuring the safety and rights of everyone.”
Four other American visitors have been accused of having ammunition; three of them are still out on bond with Turks and Caicos. Two of them are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty, including one who was allowed to return to the United States for medical reasons.
Hagerich stated that his sentencing “set some precedent.”
He declared, “My work, our work, is not complete until all of them get home.”
